


What Does it Mean?

by LeftHandedPastryChef



Series: Blood and Fire [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Bathing, Blow Jobs, Caleb Widogast Deserves Nice Things, Caleb doesn't think he deserves Molly, Cuddling, Improper use of magic, Light Dom/sub, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic, Mighty Nein work a job, Molly doesn't understand being in love, Nightmares, Other, Picnics, Pining, Sex Magic, Slow Burn, Wingman M9
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:07:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27928765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeftHandedPastryChef/pseuds/LeftHandedPastryChef
Summary: Caleb can't get Mollymauk off of his mind, especially after the night they spent together. Molly is more than eager to get Caleb to himself again; he has a list of things he wants to do with the wizard. When Caleb starts to realize that his feelings are more than just lustful, though, he calls off the tentative thing they have and tries to distance himself. Molly tells himself it's fine, but his heart disagrees.Then The Mighty Nein land a job as bodyguards at a gala, tasked to foil an assassination plot against the host. In the days leading up to the gala, Molly and Caleb dance around each other, both trying to understand what it is they are feeling. Their companions, of course, are there to help.Sequel toHemocraft, part of a series. Updates every Thursday.
Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast
Series: Blood and Fire [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2045077
Comments: 126
Kudos: 232





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! This is a (more plot driven) sequel to Hemocraft, as well as my first successfully completed NANOWRIMO project! I will update every Thursday until all chapters are posted. <3 
> 
> This story is set before 2x26 in a slightly altered timeline. The Mighty Nein have been together for about a year at this point.

Caleb rushed through the busy streets, coat flaring out behind him as he headed towards the inn. Under one arm he clutched his new book, an astoundingly lucky find that he was eager to delve into as soon as possible. The shopkeep had been oblivious to its value, calling it a ‘dusty old journal’ when he brought it up to inquire its price, and he’d managed to make off with it for a paltry two gold. Three new spells were tucked within its pages, waiting to join his collection.

The tavern was nearly empty with the lunch rush having just come to an end, but Caleb instinctively made his way to the large table that The Nein had claimed for themselves. He sat at the end and unloaded his tools- a pinch of soot and some salt to translate the majority of the book, paper and ink for to transcribe, and the book itself. His prize.

As he hunched forward to delve into his translations, the strap of his book harness shifted and dug into his shoulder, pressing hard against the bite mark that he’d nearly forgotten about in his haste. He straightened and reached beneath his coat to adjust it. The mark was a few days old, but it had bruised rather spectacularly. It was one of three bites Molly had left him with, one for each time Molly had brought him to a climax as they’d tumbled together, naked and lost in a haze of pleasure and magic.

He’d meant to have Jester heal it the next morning, but before he’d gotten a chance to ask, they were all parting ways for a day’s worth of shopping to restock their supplies. After that it had just become a constant reminder of Molly, like everything else seemed to be. Adjusting the placement of the harness on his shoulder, Caleb carefully leaned back over the book. He could think about Molly later. For now, there were spells to learn.

For the first he would need some powdered corn extract and a twisted loop of parchment, both easy things to obtain. The other two spells didn’t seem to require any other components, just a few spoken words and simple gestures. Caleb took a few sheets of the expensive parchment he’d bought from Pumat Sol and carefully fitted them into his spellbook. He studied the glyph of the first spell carefully, taking in every minute detail, before opening his inkwell and picking up his quill.

On the first page he drew a large loop with measured hashes, circling around and down, coiling like a rope, then back up in a straight line to the top of the page. In the background, he carefully lined out a trapezoid, larger at the bottom than the top. A cross went in the middle, and a few other subtle lines gave it the appearance of a window. In the foreground, a dotted texture like the corn dust he would need for the spell, and on each side a twisted shape to represent the parchment. Then he began to add more lines, curves, and careful patterns to bring forth the symbol of transmutation. At the very bottom, he jotted down the verbal requirements of the spell, and a quick description of the somatic requirements as well. 

The second was odder. Intertwining lines surrounding the imagery of a star, for conjuration. A hand on one side, wrist straight, with a cube in the palm. A hand on the other side, wrist bent, palm empty. With less ink in his quill, he traced the pattern again with fainter lines, like a shadow of the original drawing. He took his time with the details, musing for a moment that it almost looked like one of Molly’s tarot cards. Before he could get distracted, though, he moved on to the last.

Another transmutation spell, this one was easier to draw out than the previous two. A basic transmutation circle, with all of its familiar details, surrounded by small, faceless figures with two arms and two legs. Eight of them, spread out around the circle, to represent the eight hour duration of the spell. Below all of this, a quick note of the verbal and somatic requirements, as well as the spell’s range. 

Caleb looked over his work one last time, set down his quill, and straightened in his seat. His muscles protested, cramping immediately, and blinked in surprise as he took in the tavern before him.

It was full, bustling with patrons and warmed by firelight. The windows showed darkness, and at some point during Caleb’s work, every single one of his companions had come back from their errands and joined him at the table.

“There he is,” an amused voice said from across him, and Caleb looked up to see Molly peering back at him. “Wasn’t sure you’d come back to us tonight."

Caleb closed both of his books in a hurry, tucking them away with the rest of his supplies. Nott, who was next to him on the bench, pushed a mug of ale at him. “I hadn’t realized so much time had passed,” Caleb admitted, voice hoarse from disuse. He accepted the ale and took a long drink of it, chasing away the dryness in his mouth. “I made a very lucky find today.”

Nott perked up, eager to hear about Caleb’s new spells, but the rest of the group was focused at the end of the table. Caleb leaned forward, curious to see what held their attention. A new face sat at the head of their table, conversing with Fjord in a musical voice. She was Elven, clearly, and stunning in her beauty. Long brown hair was braided and laid carefully over one shoulder, a few pieces loose to frame her angular face. Her clothes were expensive, but not so much as to demand attention, and her jewelry was subtle, but spoke to her wealth. She had a warm, welcoming glow to her and spoke with a smile. It was no wonder the group was so entranced by her.

As Caleb studied the woman, her observant green eyes flitted over to him. “Ah, your wizard is with us now.”

“My apologies,” he said quickly, bowing his head in a polite nod. “I am, at times, a bit too focused.”

“Not to worry,” she smiled. “Your companions have kept me well enough entertained. They tell me your name is Caleb?”

He nodded, sparing a quick glance to his friends. They all seemed relaxed and in good spirits. If they’d given his real name, then they seemed to trust this woman to some degree. “Caleb Widogast. And you are?”

“Aradelle Doriath. It is a pleasure to meet you.” She nodded to him, then looked back to the others. “Unfortunately I must be going, but I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.” 

Caleb watched as she stood with grace that rivaled a dancer’s. Her skirts shifted around her, swaying with her movement, and Caleb wondered if she might be some sort of royalty. She smiled widely at the group, bidding them all farewell before sweeping out of the tavern. Dozens of eyes lingered on her as she went, and the entire room seemed to dim with her absence. 

When the tavern door finally swung closed, Beau broke the table’s silence with a long, heartfelt, “Daaaaaamn.”

“She was… very beautiful,” Caleb agreed. “It seems I missed most of the conversation, though. We are meeting with her tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that,” Fjord said. “You were… you know, off in the literary realm.” He gestured vaguely to where Caleb’s books had been spread across the table. “Anyway, it seems that this… Aradelle,” he struggled for a moment the pronunciation, “needs some guards for some fancy shindig she’s throwing. Heard about what we did for the place and thought she would hire us.”

“Why not ask the many guards here in the city?”

Jester leaned forward abruptly, nearly spilling her glass of milk. “Because she wants us to be _spies_ Caleb!” There was a glint of excitement in her eyes. 

“Actually,” Fjord continued, ignoring Jester’s enthusiastic interruption, “she’s about a day’s ride east of the city. Said something about a fancy estate.”

Caleb furrowed his brows, considering. There were several holes in the story that brought him concern, but he trusted his friends had gotten the full explanation and found it satisfactory. “ _Ja_ , I suppose if it is good enough for all of you, I will tag along.”

Nodding, Molly spoke up. “We can worry about all that tomorrow, though. For now, I’m starving. Shall I go order us some dinner?”

There was a unanimous agreement at the table, and Molly hopped off the bench and headed towards the bar. Caleb watched him go, focused on the purple tail that peeked out from beneath Molly’s coat and swished back and forth as he walked. He’d thought a lot about that tail over the past few days, and the tiefling it was attached to. He couldn’t seem to get Molly off of his mind. Allowing himself to be seduced by Molly had been a bit of an impulsive thing. He had figured they would spend the evening together, relieve some stress, experiment with a bit of magic, and that would be that. Caleb hadn’t counted on how tender Molly would be, or how amazing he would feel after the fact. Molly had figured out every single thing that made Caleb fall apart, and then he’d put him back together again. To top it all off, he’d promised a next time and kissed him in front of all their companions without any hesitation at all. Sex was one thing, but affection… Caleb didn’t know what to do with that.

A tug on Caleb’s sleeve brought him back, however, and he looked beside him to see Nott.

“What’d you find?” Her yellow eyes were fixed on him, curious and eager. He smiled.

“ _Ja_ , well, you know that I went looking for books earlier. I found a shop with all sorts of things. Books about history and people, fictional tales and poems.” He reached into his coat and slowly pulled out his prize. There was nothing special about its appearance, but Nott’s eyes widened knowingly. “Then I found this.”

“Did you steal it? What’s in it?” Nott leaned forward, standing up in her seat to do so.

“I did not steal it, per say, but the shopkeep thought it was junk and sold it to me for very little.” He smiled, knowing she would love the spells he had learned. “Would you like to see a trick?”

“Of course!”

Caleb held the book out, flicked his wrist, and it vanished. 

“Whoa! Caleb how did you do that?” Jester, who had seen the book vanish out of the corner of her eye, stared at him in amazement.

“Because he’s the smartest wizard ever,” Nott said as if it were obvious. She beamed with pride. “Can you bring it back?”

Caleb flicked his wrist again and the book reappeared, exactly as it had been, in his hand.

“Ooh, party tricks?” Molly’s voice came from behind Caleb. He nearly dropped the book in surprise. 

“I suppose you could say that,” Caleb answered, twisting in his seat to look at the tiefling. His back twinged again and he froze. “ _Ow._ ”

“All you alright?” Molly asked, moving around the table so Caleb didn’t have to crane his neck.

“ _Ja_ , I am okay. Just sore. The time got away from me; I was reading and copying for nearly six hours.”

Molly smiled at him flirtatiously and leaned forward. “Perhaps I could give you a massage?”

“Caleb, Caleb,” Jester called, bringing his attention away from Molly before he could even process the question. “Can you make anything vanish? Can you make _me_ vanish?! Where does it go?”

“I cannot make you vanish, no. But many things, yes.” He took a piece of bread from the basket that Molly had brought back and flicked his wrist, sending it away. Another flick and it was back. Jester, Nott, and Molly all clapped, which caught the attention of the others at the table. At their request, he repeated the trick several times, until the rest of the food finally arrived and the conversation fell back to the elven woman from before. Caleb was happy to dig into his food and avoid Molly’s suggestive gaze. 

Nearly an hour later, they were still all seated around the table talking. They’d been doing a lot of that lately, enjoying the reprieve from constant travel and battle and other such things. It seemed that tonight would be the end of that reprieve, at least for a little while, and none of them were particularly eager to go to bed. It occurred to Caleb that if they were about to get back on the road, he might not have another chance to be alone with Molly for some time. He wasn’t even sure if the tiefling had any interest in being with him again- it might have just been a one time thing. Molly was gorgeous. He could charm anyone into his bed, and Caleb was hardly a catch.

“Everything alright, darling?” Molly purred from the other side of the table, watching him with a smile, as if he’d been following Caleb’s thoughts.

“ _Ja_ , fine,” Caleb said quickly. He realized that he was rubbing at the bite mark on his neck and promptly dropped his hand. 

“Something on your mind?” Molly reached across the table and pulled down Caleb’s scarf just enough to reveal the mark. He brushed his thumb over it and Caleb shivered.

“Just, ah, thinking that if we’re leaving tomorrow, I should get some more ink.” Caleb leaned back a bit, just out of Molly’s reach. “Perhaps the shop is still open.” He turned to his right, where Nott was finishing off the last of her dinner. “Join me?”

“Where are we going?” Nott clearly hadn’t been paying attention, which was probably for the better.

“The paper shop again. I need some ink before we leave. Perhaps we could find you a trinket as well.” Caleb finished the last bit of his drink and stood, waiting for his goblin friend. 

“Caleb! Will you get me some doughnuts on the way back?” Jester asked, digging in her pouch for some coins. “I’m all out.” 

Caleb agreed and pocketed the coins while Nott skittered past him, waiting at the door. Caleb managed to avoid the temptation of looking at Molly one more time, but as he passed by, a hand caught him by the wrist and tugged lightly. He turned, and was surprised to see a genuine look of concern on Molly’s face instead of the flirty smile he was used to.  
  
“Truly though, are we okay?” Molly spoke quietly enough that the rest of the group wouldn’t hear. “You’ve been a bit skittish lately.”

Caleb’s instinct was to brush off the concern, but the fact that Molly was actually worried about him made him pause. Besides, a bit of honesty might actually get him somewhere. He closed his eyes briefly, summoning strength, then leaned closer to speak into Molly’s ear. “ _Ja,_ Mollymauk,” he whispered. “We are okay. But I cannot get you off of my mind, and it is driving me to distraction.” 

With that, he pulled away and followed Nott out the tavern door. He didn’t need to look to know Molly was watching him go, wearing that self-satisfied smile of his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The spells that Caleb learns are "Rope trick", "Wristpocket", and "Tiny Servant".  
> *The description of the spell glyphs is just my headcanon... there's gotta be a reason it takes so dang long to transfer them over lol  
> *Aradelle is an original character. Hopefully I didn't accidentally use the name of a canon character, because I'm only on ep 67 at the moment!
> 
> I have tried to edit this to the best of my abilities, but please feel free to point out any errors! Also, kudos are very tasty <3


	2. Chapter 2

It was late when Caleb and Nott returned with new books and doughnuts for Jester. The tavern was quiet, lit only by the smoldering fire and a few lamps. It seemed like all of the others had either gone out or retired for the night.

Caleb looked at the bag of doughnuts in his hand as they climbed the stairs. “Do you think Jester is still awake?”

“Probably,” Nott shrugged. “Usually when I stay in her room for the night she stays up and draws and talks to the Traveler. Sometimes her and Beau get in pillow fights too…”

Caleb chuckled. “Alright. Go on ahead. I’ll take these to her and meet you in the room.”

“Sure,” Nott agreed.

Caleb watched Nott disappear into their room at the end of the hall, then knocked lightly on the first door. There was a bit of shuffling and a few giggles, then the door creaked open. “Oh, Caleb!” Jester opened the door wider and reached out for the bag of pastries. There were feathers in her hair, and just past her Caleb could see the exploded remains of a pillow. Muffled giggles that sounded a lot like Beau's were coming from somewhere in the room.

“Don’t eat them all tonight, _ja_? Maybe save some sugar for the morning?”

“Okaaay," she pouted. "Do you want one?”

Caleb couldn’t help but smile. For all he tried to avoid it, this group of misfits was growing on him, and he’d always had a soft spot for Jester. “Perhaps tomorrow.”

“Okay. Oh! Fjord says we should leave early so we get to Aradelle’s before dark.”

“Good to know. I will be ready. Goodnight, Jester.”

“Goodnight Caleb!”

The door clicked shut and Caleb remained there for a moment, enjoying a rare moment of solitude. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered if Molly was still awake. Then again, he didn't want to bother the tiefling. Just because he couldn't get Molly off of his mind didn't mean that Molly felt the same. With that in mind, Caleb sighed and turned to head down the hall, only to see Molly himself leaning up against the wall waiting for him. He was barefoot and dressed casually, coat left behind in his room, and he was watching Caleb with a smile. His tail swished lazily back and forth.

“ _Hallo_ ,” Caleb said awkwardly. 

“ _Hallo_ ,” Molly mimicked back, grinning. “Did you find your fancy ink?”

“Mhm.” Caleb moved away from Jester’s door and closer to Molly. He could see the mischief in Molly’s eyes, and in the quirk of his lips as he looked Caleb up and down. “What are you doing out here, Mollymauk?” He spoke quietly, not wanting to be overheard by any of their companions. 

“Thought I’d catch you before the morning. Might be our last chance to talk.”

“Oh…” Caleb hesitated. “What did you want to talk about?”

“I think you know, Caleb.” He licked his lips. The tip of his tail flicked back and forth the way it did when he was excited, and his voice was dripping with innuendo.

“Molly,” Caleb said in warning, taking a few steps towards him. He knew Molly was teasing him, and after three days of daydreaming about the tiefling, his restraint was wearing thin.

“Yes, darling?”

Molly pushed off of the wall to take a step forward, but Caleb shoved him back and kissed him roughly. He took all of his pent up frustration from the past few days and channeled it into the kiss, nipping at Molly’s lip before pushing his way into the tiefling’s mouth with his tongue. Molly groaned and tried to lean into it, but Caleb pinned him hard against the wall with both hands.

“Oh _fuck_ yes,” Molly muttered. He clutched at Caleb’s coat and let his tail coil possessively around the wizard’s thigh. Caleb made a low noise in his throat and dropped his head down to bite at Molly’s neck, then sucked a deep purple mark into the peacock-feather tattoo. One of his hands found its way to Molly’s hair and tangled in it. He pulled a bit harder than he meant to, but Molly let out an appreciative noise and melted into it. “Where have _you_ been, feisty thing?”

It occurred to Caleb quite suddenly that they were still in the hallway. He released Molly, took a deep breath, and let it out in a shuddery sigh. “Why can’t I get you off my mind, Mollymauk?” He dropped his head on the tiefling’s shoulder, leaning against him and enjoying the closeness for a moment.

Molly relinquished his grip on Caleb’s coat, then slid his hands beneath it to rest on Caleb’s hips. “Come downstairs and have a drink with me.” 

While it wasn’t exactly what Caleb had in mind, the thought of just getting to spend some time with Molly sounded wonderful. He’d spent so much of the past few days trying to keep the tiefling off of his mind that he’d come to miss him. “ _Ja_ , okay. Let me change. I’ll meet you in a moment.”  
  


* * *

  
“Could I bother you for two glasses and a bottle of something decent?” Molly asked the middle-aged woman behind the bar. It was pretty late, but the tavern was technically still open for business. There was one man over by the fire, deep into his cups, and a younger human that looked like he’d just finished a shift as a guard. He sat by the door, scarfing down a plate of food.

“Just a mo,” the woman grumbled, pushing off of her stool and limping into the back. She returned with a dusty bottle and two mugs. “Don’t got any glasses, I’m ‘fraid.” 

“This is perfect,” Molly said quickly, swapping her the bottle and mugs for a handful of coins. “Thank you, dear.”

Caleb came down the stairs just as Molly was wiping the rest of the dust off of the bottle. He’d left his coat, scarf, and books upstairs, and Molly thought he looked a bit taller without all of that weighing him down. 

They took one of the tables in the corner, close enough to the fire for light but still a bit more private. It was a smaller table as well, so much so that their knees knocked together lightly when they sat. Molly managed to wrestle the cork out of the bottle with his teeth, then poured a bit into each of their mugs. “Not the fanciest,” he apologized, “but I could use a break from ale.”

“It’s wonderful, Mollymauk. Thank you.” Caleb took his mug and sipped at it, shifting a bit in his seat. He seemed to be looking for something to focus his gaze on, and Molly bumped his ankle gently with a bare foot.

“Don’t get all shy on me now, love,” Molly chided. “You did slam me up against a wall and kiss me stupid not but five minutes ago.”

Caleb blushed, which Molly absolutely loved. “I’m sorry. I am… this is all rather unfamiliar to me, I suppose. At least, it’s been a very long time.”

“Oh?” Molly tilted his head, considering. “Which part is unfamiliar?”

“This.” Caleb pointed back and forth between the two of them.

“Drinking with a friend?”

Caleb snorted. “ _Ja_ , a friend. You and I are a bit more than friends now, are we not?”

Molly shrugged. “Depends.” He took a long drink of his wine and tucked that question away in his mind for later consideration.

“Do you sleep with a lot of your friends, Mollymauk?” 

“I generally prefer strangers,” Molly admitted. “You?”

Caleb chuckled awkwardly and sipped at his drink. “Neither. It has been a very long time since I have slept with anyone, actually.”

“Oh?” Molly leaned forward, intrigued. “How long?”

After a long pause, Caleb muttered, “ _Sechszehn_ ,” into his cup.

Molly reached out, gently pushed Caleb’s cup back down to the table, then put a finger on his chin to guide Caleb’s eyes to his. “I’ll get it eventually, I’m sure, but as of now I don’t speak Zemnian.”

“Sixteen years,” Caleb muttered, averting his eyes again. “Or thereabouts.”

Molly bit his lip to keep his jaw from dropping. “You have not had sex in _sixteen years_ and you let me take you to bed and absolute ravish you? Gods, Caleb, we could have taken things slowly if you’d told me.”

Caleb took Molly’s hand from his chin and kissed his palm. “I would not change a thing about our night together. Though I would not mind trying ‘slow’ sometime.” He gave Molly a tentative smile. “There are many things I would like to try, actually.”

A number of ideas danced through Molly’s head and he squeezed Caleb’s hand and leaned forward. “Tell me one,” he grinned.

“You are a tease, Mollymauk.” Caleb took his hand back and lifted his mug, drinking what remained in the cup. Molly finished his as well and poured them both a bit more. “Are you truly interested in, ah, being with me again?”

Molly’s tail flicked back and forth. “If it weren’t entirely indecent, I’d have you right now on this table.” 

Even in the dim light, Molly could see Caleb’s pupils dilate a fraction. His grip on the mug got a bit tighter and he chewed at his lip. “I do not think the innkeep would be very happy with us.”

Molly leaned in a bit more, lowering his voice. “You know, when I first started thinking about what it would be like to have you in my bed, I pictured you shy and blushing and uncertain.”

Caleb seemed both intrigued and embarrassed by Molly’s words. “Am I not?”

“Oh, you are. It’s incredibly endearing.” He smiled. “But there’s more to you than that, isn’t there? I feel like I only got a taste. You like pain with your pleasure. You let me tie you up with my magic and take away your sight. You’ve been marching around here for days with my marks on your body even though Jester could have healed them away… And then you come up the stairs tonight and manhandle me into a wall.”

“I want to watch you ride me,” Caleb said, voice low. Molly’s eyes widened in surprise. “You asked me to tell you one thing I wanted. So there is one.”

He could feel his tail quivering in excitement and promptly wrapped it around the leg of the chair. “What else?”

Caleb shook his head. “Only one, for tonight. The rest you will have to work for.”

Molly stared him down for a long minute, but Caleb held his gaze firm. “I suppose I’ll have to find us some alone time then, hmm?”

“ _Ja, demnächst._ ” The corner of his lip turned up in a smile. “It means ‘soon’.”

Molly nodded in agreement and sipped at his wine. He was finally starting to feel the effects of it, and the warm buzz of the alcohol was only spurring on the arousal. “I wonder, though. Are you up for a bit of fun tonight?” 

Caleb considered. “What did you have in mind?”

“A little magic. A little mischief.” He grinned, catlike, and laced his fingers together to lean his chin on. Caleb’s blue eyes stared into his, as if trying to read his intentions.

“Mollymauk,” Caleb urged him.

“Trust me?”

“ _Ja_ , I do. I think our time together has made that much clear.” 

Keeping his eyes locked on Caleb’s, Molly drew his bottom lip in and pinched it between his teeth, just hard enough to make it bleed. Caleb’s gaze darted down a fraction, watching the bead of blood well up. Then Molly reached out and rested a hand on Caleb’s cheek, pressing the sharp nail of his thumb against his lower lip. He waited a few seconds for any sign of hesitation, but there was none. With a quick swipe of his nail, he made a small cut on Caleb’s lip as well. 

Then Molly abandoned all pretense of casualty and hauled Caleb up by the collar of his shirt, meeting him over the center of the table in a bruising kiss. Their combined blood sparked his magic and he let it surge through his body, knowing it was coursing through Caleb as well. It settled in his bones and made everything feel brighter, like one of Caleb’s dancing lights as it lit up all the hidden crevices in a room.

Someone cleared their throat rather loudly, and Molly let Caleb go. The man in the corner was very carefully not looking at them, but Molly shot him a glare anyway. When he turned back to Caleb, the wizard’s pupils were huge and his lips were parted, giving him a dazed sort of appearance. 

“ _Erstaunlich_ ,” Caleb muttered, closing his eyes. He flexed his hands a few times as if trying to get used to the extra sensitivity that the magic instilled. He’d said last time that it felt like Molly was always there, just beneath his skin, and Molly had to agree. “I have wondered, if I cast a spell while we were bonded like this, would you feel it?”

Molly hadn’t considered the possibility, but it certainly intrigued him. “Try it and let’s see?” 

Caleb thought for a moment, then cupped his hands together and concentrated. As he did, Molly began to feel a strange tingling in his chest that seemed to spread outward. It was warm and electric, growing in intensity as it trailed down his arms and into his hands. At the same time, a small light began to glow in Caleb’s hands, barely showing between his fingers. Molly’s heart began to beat faster and his hands tingled with numbness. He couldn’t quite seem to focus his vision, and the edges of it blurred. Then the light went out with a pop and the foreign energy in Molly’s body zinged back to the center, making his breath stutter for a moment with the shock of it. He realized he was gripping the edge of the table, claws digging grooves into the wood, and promptly released it.

“I take it you felt that then?” Caleb said, looking a tad sheepish.

“Yeah… wow,” Molly breathed. “We are definitely playing around with that sometime.”

“Carefully,” Caleb added. “That was a strong reaction for such a low level spell.”

“Carefully, then.” Molly smiled and shook his hands out a bit. He knew Caleb was powerful, but every once in a while he was given a subtle reminder, and that just made him crave the wizard even more. “I trust you.”

They both took a moment to drink and let the residual energy from Caleb’s spell fizzle out, until all that remained was the slight thrum of magic from Molly’s binding. “Are you going to tell me what you had in mind for tonight, Mollymauk?” Caleb finally spoke.

“Oh, right.” He’d let himself get distracted. “Before that, can you feel this?” Molly leaned down a bit and tapped himself in the ankle three times, out of Caleb’s view.

“Three taps,” he nodded.

“Good,” Molly smiled. “Three taps for ‘stop’. Two for ‘wait’, one for ‘continue’.”

Caleb nodded slowly, but his confusion was evident. “Can I not just tell you?”

Molly’s grin got wider and he leaned forward, lacing his hands together again and propping his chin on them. “Might be a bit difficult if we’re in different rooms, love.”

Understanding dawned on Caleb’s face, and the flush on his cheeks grew at least two shades brighter. “You are something else, Mollymauk.”

“You like it,” Molly said unapologetically. He lifted the bottle of wine and divided what remained into their cups. 

“More so than I anticipated,” Caleb admitted.

“We have nearly an hour, though. Let’s finish our drinks.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, relaxing into the strange feeling of the magic binding them. Molly noticed that he could feel the buzz of his wine, but it seemed to be amplified a bit by Caleb’s intoxication as well. He was glad it had been a small bottle, or they’d both be too drunk to do anything at all. Beneath the table, Caleb’s feet bumped him as the wizard stretched. Molly let their legs tangle together, enjoying the current of energy that it seemed to create. Eventually the man in the corner, the last patron aside from them, pushed back his chair and headed for the door. 

“So,” Molly started, leaning back in his chair now that he didn’t feel the need to speak so softly. “Will you tell me what’s been on your mind these past few days?

Caleb chuckled. “Fishing for flattery, are you? I always thought you were a humble man.” He rotated his cup on the table a few times before taking a sip. 

Molly couldn’t help but notice that his accent got subtly thicker when he was tipsy. “I can’t help it. I like knowing you’ve been thinking about me.”

“You have been keeping me up at night, Mollymauk. I lie in bed and try to sleep, but I see you instead, and imagine your voice. It makes things… difficult.”

“A shame we don’t share a room,” Molly lamented. “Have you touched yourself, thinking of me?”

Caleb’s eyes darted around the tavern, making sure it was still empty. He was obviously flustered, and Molly absolutely loved it. “ _Ja,_ once,” he admitted, barely above a whisper.

“Naughty,” Molly purred. He liked the idea of Caleb lying in bed, pleasing himself with Molly’s name on his lips. “What else?”

“I wish I had spent more time mapping you out in my mind,” Caleb confessed. “I want to take every detail of you and commit it to memory. Each of your tattoos, each of your scars… I want to trace them all with my fingers and my tongue.” 

Perhaps it was the alcohol that made Caleb more forward, but Molly was pleasantly shocked. He studied the wizard affectionately. “You continue to surprise me, dear.”

“ _Ja_? I suppose that is good. I’ll admit that I thought your interest in me might have been only for the one night.” He seemed embarrassed to admit it.

It was true enough that Molly preferred one night stands, but something about Caleb had him hooked and he _wanted_. “My interest in you has absolutely not been satiated yet. I fear that might take quite some time.”

“And patience, it seems,” Caleb sighed. “I have never given much thought to how difficult it is to find privacy with this group of ours. Not until recently.”

“I like a challenge,” Molly purred. “And I like what happens when you spend several days thinking about me.” He glanced up the stairs, remembering the rough treatment Caleb had greeted him with. 

Caleb smiled into his drink, hiding his face momentarily. It was hard to tell anymore if his cheeks were pink from the flirting or from the effects of the alcohol, but Molly loved it either way. For all the wizard tried to cover himself up with scrappy layers of clothing and smudges of dirt, he was incredibly attractive. Even more so when he was blushing, and Molly was getting very good at making that happen.

Subtly enough that Caleb didn’t notice, Molly dropped a hand to his lap. He’d been in some state of arousal since Caleb pushed him into the wall upstairs, but every moment that passed was one moment closer to enacting his clever plan, and the anticipation was stoking the fire in his gut. He waited until Caleb was about to take a sip of his wine, then dragged his palm across the front of his pants.

“ _Mol- Molly,_ ” Caleb stuttered out, tightening the grip on his mug.

“Yes, dear?” Molly put on his most innocent expression and smiled at Caleb.

“ _Götter_ , what have I gotten myself into?” Caleb shook his head and finished his wine, setting the mug down and sliding it away.

“Hopefully me, soon,” Molly laughed. “But for tonight, perhaps we should head upstairs?”

Caleb took a deep breath and nodded. Molly could feel a tinge of excitement in the bond, and he matched it with his own. The two of them rose, and Molly grabbed the empty bottle and glasses to leave on the bar. He followed his wizard up the stairs and down the hall, pausing at the door to the room he shared with Fjord. “It has been thirty-nine minutes since you cast the spell,” Caleb said quietly, crowding into Molly’s space.

“Then we shouldn’t dawdle too much longer, hmm?” Despite his words, he couldn’t help but wrap his arms around Caleb and pull him a bit closer. Before they’d begun this little thing of theirs, Caleb had been completely adverse to touch. Now, perhaps with the aid of alcohol, he was surprisingly tactile. Molly stroked a hand through his hair and put his lips to Caleb’s ear. “I’ll give you five minutes. I want you to go into your room and get ready for bed. Lie down and wait for me, okay?”

Caleb seemed to shiver a bit in Molly’s arms. “Nothing too intense, _ja_? I have learned that you make it hard to be quiet.”

Molly turned his head and kissed Caleb’s cheek. “Three taps on the ankle and I’ll stop.”

“Two for wait,” Caleb nodded, repeating what they’d agreed on earlier.

“Just one more thing,” Molly murmured, mouthing at the fading mark on Caleb’s neck. He wanted to bite down, mark his claim again, but he restrained himself. “You’re not allowed to touch yourself.”

“ _Bitte_ , Mollymauk, that’s cruel,” Caleb breathed, but he didn’t protest.

“I know, love. Be good for me and I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

“ _Ich vertraue dir_.” Caleb found Molly’s lips and kissed him, pulling him close. Molly thought he recognized one of the words, but he quickly lost it in the passion of the kiss. For all that he indulged in carnal pleasures, Molly had never been so enraptured by the way somebody kissed him. He craved the feeling of Caleb’s lips against his, and the tentative way Caleb would explore further with his tongue, prodding Molly’s dangerously sharp teeth and licking deep into his mouth. 

Caleb groaned into the kiss, and the sound of it shot straight down to Molly’s cock. He gasped and broke away, laying a gentle hand on Caleb’s cheek. “If you keep kissing me like that, darling, I am going to shove you up against this door and fuck you right here and now.” His voice was low, drenched in lust, and he savored the way it made Caleb shiver. “Five minutes. Go.”

Though it was difficult, Molly managed to pull away from Caleb and duck quietly into his room. As Fjord snored quietly from his bed, Molly shed his clothes quickly, crawled into his own bed, and waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Erstaunlich"_ \- Amazing  
>  _"Ich vertraue dir"_ \- I trust you 
> 
> Kudos feed my writer's soul <3  
> Next chapter on Thursday!


	3. Chapter 3

Caleb took a minute in the hall to steady his breathing and try to get his heart rate under control. Molly’s presence was more intoxicating than the half a bottle of wine he’d drunk, and the two combined was a tantalizingly dangerous mix.

When he could focus again, Caleb snuck into his room. He was relieved to see that Nott was fast asleep in her nest of blankets. Her flask was a few inches from her, and Caleb hoped she would sleep a bit more soundly with the influence of her whisky.

He wasn’t comfortable with undressing completely, especially without time to set his alarm spell, but he traded his shirt for one of his older, softer ones. Only once he was under the blankets did he loosen the tie on his pants. He closed his eyes and focused on the gentle thrum of magic, warm and liquid in his veins. It was hard to pin down what the bond actually felt like. Everything was slightly more sensitive, almost like his very skin was more alert. There was a buzz of excitement from Molly that he was getting in slow waves, and little sparks of feeling here and there that Caleb imagined was Molly shifting beneath his blankets impatiently. 

He waited. 

A warm ghost of feeling across his bottom lip was the first thing he felt though the bond. It was gentle, like a warning, followed by the slide of unseen fingers down his neck and across his collarbones. It was almost like being touched, but the sensation was something he felt beneath his skin. The energy it held was similar to his own magic, but deliciously foreign at the same time. He tapped a finger gently against his lip to let Molly know he had felt it.

Then Caleb closed his eyes and focused, picturing what Molly looked like right now. He imagined him sprawled out on his bed beneath a thin blanket, tracing fingers along his lavender skin. He was being careful to use the pads of his fingers instead of his sharp nails, and the touch was so light that Caleb’s skin prickled and little bumps ran down his arms. He wanted so badly to press into the touch, get closer to Molly somehow, but there was nothing he could do but lie there and _feel_.

He waited. Molly’s touches traveled across the plains of his chest, ghosting over his nipples and making them stand firm. Molly counted each of his ribs, then traced a gentle line over the memory of each cut he’d left in Caleb’s chest when they’d been together last. The cuts were nearly healed now, only faint pink lines on Caleb’s pale skin, but Molly seemed to remember exactly where each one had been. 

Caleb’s hands twitched, eager to reach into his pants and move things along, but he steeled himself and waited. He watched Molly in his mind’s eye as the tiefling ran his palms down narrow hips, brought them inward, and gently trailed his fingers up the insides of his thighs. The mostly healed bite on Caleb’s inner thigh throbbed with the almost-attention, as did his cock. He wanted to keep his pants on, but they were so incredibly tight. He eased them down just far enough to get some relief, careful not to touch his cock in the process. Molly had told him not to, after all.

The strokes on his skin gradually grew firmer as Caleb’s internal clock counted down the minutes remaining on the spell. He was growing impatient, but Molly was determined to cover every inch of sensitive skin before relenting. Caleb wished he could see the tiefling, eyes closed and a smirk on his lips as he teased both of them with his annoyingly patient touches. Every bit of him that Molly had ghosted over felt hypersensitive, and his cock throbbed with need and jumped embarrassingly every time Molly got closer to it. 

Finally, _finally_ , there was a tingle of sensation through the bond as Molly stroked a slow, careful line up the underside. Caleb’s breath rushed out of him and he sucked it back in, struggling to get it under control. He felt as Molly’s fingers explored every single bump and ridge on his purple tiefling cock, then teased at the slit that was probably leaking just as much as Caleb’s. Caleb knew Molly looked beautiful in this moment. It pained him that he wasn’t able to watch.

Then warmth encircled Caleb’s cock- Molly’s hand, he knew- and gave a firm stroke from root to tip. Caleb’s toes curled and he shivered. His hand was already halfway to touching himself without him even noticing, and he snatched it back and fisted it in the sheets. Molly paused, waiting for any sign that Caleb wanted him to stop. The longest ten seconds of Caleb’s life passed, then Molly gripped himself again and began to stoke.

Caleb held on to the sheets and tried his damnedest to stay still as sensations coursed through his body. It was so much, _too much_ , not being able to touch himself and having to rely on Molly and his gods-forsaken magic. Every stroke was perfect and electric, but his body didn’t seem to understand the lack of physical touch. His cock leaked and twitched, begging for touch, and Caleb had to suppress a whimper when Molly’s hand dipped lower and cupped at his balls. Though the magic held its own warmth, it wasn't the same as the overwhelming heat of Molly's tiefling skin, and that one little detail made him crave Molly even more. It was frustrating and teasing in the worst way, and it was only when Caleb started to feel Molly's orgasm approach that his own body gave in and followed suit. They neared it together, Molly's hand moving in rough strokes as Caleb fought to keep his own hands still, and as soon as he was about to crest over the edge, all of the sensation stopped. 

He bit down on his lip to keep from crying out as a shudder traveled through him, muscles going taut as his body tried to orgasm. Nothing. He was still hovering on the edge, trembling, and it took every ounce of self control he had not to finish himself off despite Molly's single rule. Somehow, he knew that Molly was on the other side of the wall grinning like a fool. 

He reached down and tapped himself once on the ankle, hard enough to convey his frustration. Once, for ‘continue’.

He got two taps in return. ‘Wait’.

Cursing the devious tiefling, Caleb let out a slow breath and tried to relax back into the sheets. Nott was still asleep. Outside, a chorus of crickets and cicadas were making enough noise to mask Caleb’s gasps. He took another deep breath, and felt the tension slowly leave his muscles as he let it out. His cock was still hard as iron, but the rest of him finally relaxed.

A warm, gentle sensation tickled his cheek, like a hand caressing it, and Caleb could almost hear Molly praising him. He wanted to lean into it, to hear Molly’s words. “You’re so good for me,” he’d said last time, and the words had made Caleb’s chest tighten in a wonderful way. He lifted his own hand to his cheek and mimicked the movement, hoping that Molly would understand.

A ghosting of fingers, down his chest again, across his nipples and over his ribs, had Caleb’s attention snapping back to his leaking erection in no time. There was no more teasing to be had, it seemed. Caleb had been good for Molly, he’d waited, and now he was getting his reward. 

It was a rush of sensation. The magic echoed Molly’s touch in full force until Caleb was trembling again, brought back to the edge in no time at all. Molly was using both of his hands now, stroking and squeezing, dipping lower to tease elsewhere and coming back up, and Caleb was coming undone faster than he could have possibly anticipated. Hands still fisted into the sheets, Caleb rocked his hips up, desperate for whatever slight amount of friction he could get out of the blanket.

Then there was a spark through the bond, a single beat where the magic seemed to contract, and then it burst and let loose a wave of intense pleasure as Molly came, hard and sudden. He continued to stroke himself through it, and Caleb was helpless to resist, following him over the edge with a barely concealed gasp. His cock throbbed and twitched as he came, some of it catching on the blanket but most of it spilling on his stomach. Molly's hand slowed, squeezing gently on the upstroke, and Caleb shuddered again as the last few drops leaked out of him. He sighed and focused on his breathing as the electric hum of the magic inside him started to settle. 

Caleb's heart beat heavily in his chest. He knew what Molly would look like right about now- knew the blissed out way his eyes would close, and how his lips would curl up into a content little smile. As much as he'd enjoyed their little magic experiment, he wanted to be with Molly now. He wanted to kiss the tiefling, to lie with him and enjoy the afterglow.

A moment later, a gut wrenching emptiness hit him as the spell wore off. He was the only one in his skin again, and he felt painfully incomplete.

There was exhaustion too, which Molly had warned him about the first time, and it seemed to press him to the bed. It had been so much easier when Molly had been there to ease him through it, tucking him into their nest of blankets and stroking his hair as he drifted off to sleep. He fought it though, summoning the energy for a simple spell to clean himself off. He tugged his pants back up around his hips, reached to the bedpost where he had hung his coat, and fished out a little copper wire.

Quietly, almost silently, he whispered a message to Molly. “You are incredible, Mollymauk. Sleep well.”

Four heartbeats later, he replied. There was a faint chuckle, followed by, “Goodnight, love.”

“ _Gute Nacht._ ”

* * *

Caleb didn’t remember falling asleep. Between the exhaustion, the alcohol, and the incredible orgasm, he hadn’t even stayed awake long enough to tuck his copper wire back in his coat. He dreamt of endless libraries and stacks of knowledge, then the open road with his companions beside him. He dreamt of a gentle wind in his hair as they rode into a new city, brimming with possibilities. He dreamt of Molly and his perfect, toothy smile.

He woke just before sunrise. Nott’s bed was empty and the window was cracked open, so it was safe to assume she’d gone window shopping sometime in the night. The slight breeze was nice, though, and the solitude was relaxing. Caleb leaned back and thought of Molly.

It was becoming a habit of his. On one hand, he didn’t really blame himself. After sixteen years of celibacy, one was bound to dwell on their first sexual experience. On the other hand, especially now that he’d gotten some relief the night before, his thoughts of Molly weren’t inherently sexual. Instead he remembered how Molly had checked in with him at least a dozen times over their first night together, making sure he felt safe and comfortable. He remembered afterwards, how Molly had been so gentle with him, rubbing salve into his bites and reassuring him that he did not have to be ashamed for liking what he did. Then they had slept, tucked into each other's arms, and Caleb’s heart had felt so full in a way he was unfamiliar with.

Well, he realized, that wasn’t entirely true. He’d felt that way once, when he was much younger and naïve. He’d felt that way, briefly, with Astrid. 

Caleb sat up abruptly. “Gods above, you are falling in love with Mollymauk,” he muttered to himself. Then anger flared through him, surprising in its strength. “ _Nein_. You do not deserve him," he hissed at himself. "He is beauty, and you are dirt.”

Molly was incredible. He was a work of art, meant for the world to see and to marvel at. He was a bird that should not be caged, and Caleb refused to ruin him. Molly had already given Caleb far too much kindness, and it would be selfish of him to take any more. Whatever he and Molly were doing needed to stop. It hurt just to think it, but Caleb knew it was true. Molly could find happiness anywhere, and any attachment he had to Caleb would only hold him back. He deserved better.

A scratching sound from the direction of the window told Caleb that Nott had returned. He pulled his blanket up, rolled over, and feigned sleep. 

* * *

Beau and Nott were scarfing down the last of breakfast when Molly finally found his way down the stairs. He joined them, reaching for what little bacon remained, and looked around the tavern. “Where are the others?”

“Fjord’s getting the cart,” Nott said between bites. “Jester’s picking up her shield from the blacksmiths, I think?” 

Beau nodded. “Yasha went with her.”  
  
“Caleb?” Molly tried not to sound too interested.

“He’s, uh… still upstairs.” Nott shrugged and hopped off the seat. “I’m going to go find Fjord. He might need help with the horses.” She grabbed one more slice of bacon off the plate and headed for the door.

Beau and Molly stared at each other for a long moment. “Is this another one of those things where everyone knows something that I don’t?” Beau asked.

Molly watched the door close behind Nott. “If it is, I’m not in on it either.”

“I think… I dunno, you should probably go check on Caleb or something.”

Molly nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think so.”

Finishing his breakfast quickly, Molly promised to meet Beau and the others outside soon. He took the stairs two at a time, bypassing his own room for Caleb’s. He knocked.

“ _Komm herein,_ ” Caleb’s voice called. 

Molly opened the door and stepped inside. “Still don’t speak Zemnian, but that sounded like ‘come in’.”

“ _Ja,_ sorry.” Caleb closed the book he was reading and strapped it into his harness, then reached for his coat. “We are leaving, then?”

Molly noticed immediately that Caleb wasn’t meeting his eyes. “Seems like it.” He stepped forward and Caleb tensed noticeably. “Are you… is everything okay?”

“ _Ja,_ Mollymauk,” Caleb said quietly. “Everything is okay.” The silence stretched for a long moment, and Caleb shifted his weight nervously. “What we have been doing… it has been fun, but I think-”

Somehow, Molly knew what Caleb was trying to say. “No pressure, Caleb. You want to stop, we stop.”

Caleb nodded. “Okay. _Ja_ , okay.” He shifted again, rubbing the fabric of his coat nervously between his fingers. “I do not want to lose your friendship, though.”

Molly gave a humorless laugh. “We are absolutely still friends, lo- Caleb. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” He hoped Caleb hadn’t noticed his fumble. He would have to watch himself for a while; it was so easy to shower the wizard with endearments, but he didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. Then again, if Caleb was calling things off, maybe he had. “I’m sorry, I have to ask. Did I upset you somehow?”

“No,” Caleb answered quickly. He pulled on his coat and tucked the last of his things into his pockets. Finally, for the first time this morning, he met Molly’s eyes. “You have been wonderful to me, Mollymauk. I am just… I need…”

Molly put up a hand. “You don’t have to tell me. I just wanted to know that I hadn’t hurt you.”

“Not at all.”

Molly forced a smile. “Well then, we should get going. I’ve got a few things to grab from my room, so I’ll see you downstairs?”

Caleb nodded.

Molly left. He slipped into the room he’d been sharing with Fjord and shut the door behind him, then let out a long, heartfelt sigh. He took a few steps forward and sank down on his bed. Fjord’s side of the room was empty, and soon Molly’s would be too. He was used to travel, of course, but he’d made some good memories in this bed and he was a bit sad to leave it.

He flopped backwards. He wasn’t sad to leave the bed. He was sad that whatever he’d been doing with Caleb seemed to be over, and he was confused as to why it bothered him so much. Maybe his tendency for one night stands was more a product of his frequent traveling, but it was what he was used to. It was normal for him. Sleeping with the same person twice was rare, and anything past that was… well… he hadn’t experienced it. Not as Mollymauk, anyway. And he’d been perfectly okay with it.

Then he’d accidentally succeeded in seducing Caleb Widogast, of all people, and rather than a somewhat decent roll in the hay, he’d found himself enraptured with the wizard. He couldn’t seem to get enough.

“Molly hurry up, we’re going to leave without you. Youcanreplytothismessage.” Nott’s shrill voice shocked Molly out of his misery.

“On my way down.” He stood and stuffed the rest of his belongings into his pack, threw it over his shoulder, and scanned the room. “Well then, I suppose that’s that,” he said to the furniture. “It was certainly fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sorry not sorry?) For real though, the comments and love I've gotten on this and _Hemocraft_ are just blowing me away :'D Since you are all so lovely, I will be uploading a bonus chapter this week! It will be posted on Sunday, which is also my birthday <3 Thank you so much for all of the comments and kudos and love! <3


	4. Chapter 4

The road out of the city was nice, bordering on scenic, and the weather was gorgeous. Perfect for travel. That combined with the promise of gold on the horizon had everyone in good spirits, laughing and teasing each other with light-hearted jabs. Somehow, despite this, Molly felt like there was a cloud above him as he rode.

He and Yasha had opted to ride horseback, following along behind the cart. Fjord and Nott were guiding the cart while Jester and Caleb sat in the back, drawing and reading respectively. Beau alternated between lounging in the cart and jogging alongside it for exercise. They set a comfortable pace, and Fjord estimated that they’d be there just before sunset. 

A little after noon, Yasha finally sighed and guided her horse a bit closer to Molly’s. “What’s bothering you?”

Molly started, tearing his gaze away from where it had been resting on Caleb, and looked at Yasha. “Nothing, why?”

She stared at him for a long moment, unimpressed by his obvious lie. 

“It’s really nothing, Yasha. Don’t worry about it.”

“You are never quiet. You’ve hardly spoken since we left. Something’s upsetting you.” Yasha spoke softly, but Molly still glanced ahead to make sure nobody had heard. 

“Fine, just…” Molly tugged lightly on his horse’s reins, falling back a bit more from the wagon. He knew his companions could be exceptional eavesdroppers when they wanted to. Yasha followed suit, slowing her horse a bit, and Molly sighed. “Caleb called things off, is all. It’s not a big deal, I was just enjoying myself. Thought it would last a bit longer.”

Yasha considered for a moment. “You like him.”

“Of course I like him. I like all of them.” Molly gestured broadly to their companions. Yasha stared at him for a long time, until Molly started to squirm under her gaze. “Okay, I don’t know if I’d sleep with all of them, but that’s really not the point.”

Yasha sighed and trained her eyes on the road ahead. “Maybe… maybe he is overwhelmed. Give him time.”

“Yeah.” Molly sighed. Yasha was probably right. If Caleb truly hadn’t been with anyone in sixteen years, Molly probably wasn’t the right person to bring him back into things. He knew he could be overwhelming. He couldn’t help it, really. But he did care about Caleb, and if making Caleb comfortable meant backing off, then so be it. He could find sex anywhere. Caleb’s friendship was one of a kind. “Thanks, Yash.”

Yasha just smiled at him and gave her horse a gentle nudge to pick up speed. 

* * *

Aradelle’s estate was a thing of beauty. They arrived shortly before dusk, just in time to see the beautiful colors of the gardens that framed the carriage path up to the stables. Flowers of every species and color grew around small ponds full of large, shimmering fish. Mossy rocks were stacked with care to create a slow dribbling waterfall, and as the sun lowered in the sky, the entire estate took on an ethereal feel. Molly wasn’t sure what the fey realm was like, but he imagined it felt something like this. Frumpkin seemed to feel right at home, at least, and the feline leapt off the cart as soon as they arrived to chase a lightning bug into the gardens.

The house itself was two stories tall and very wide. Arched windows covered the stoneface of the building, glowing with candlelight as the sky around them darkened. Decorative trim outlined the windows and doors, soft moss clung to the walls in patches, and vines of ivy snaked up the building, tying it into the nature around it.

The entire group was so taken by the sight before them that they hardly noticed Aradelle’s approach. She was beautiful, of course, dressed more casually than she had been the night before, and she seemed to glide across the cobblestone walkway to the stables where they stood. She motioned and a man stepped out of the stables. He took their horses, patting each beast affectionately, and guided their cart around to a covered area. 

“Welcome, friends. I’m so glad you could come!” Aradelle swept forward and took Molly’s hand, delight in her eyes.

“The beauty of your home is rivaled only by your own,” Molly purred, bowing to kiss her hand. 

She beamed at him, then gestured to all the others. “Come, you must be starved. We can discuss business over dinner.”

Dinner turned out to be a long, elegant table piled with dishes that ranged from familiar to otherworldly. Everyone filtered into the room and took a seat, glancing between each other with uncertainty. Aradelle took the head of the table, and Molly sat just to her right. He spared a glance to Caleb, who was reassuring Nott on the other side of the table.

“This is all very fancy,” Molly could hear the goblin say. She sounded more worried than impressed.

“We will be okay,” Caleb whispered, patting her hand. “Perhaps pace yourself when you eat, though.” He looked up then, met Molly’s eyes briefly, and looked away.

Yasha took a seat next to Molly, and on her other side he could hear Beau whispering, “Why do we have so many forks?”

“It is a fancy thing,” Caleb mumbled. “Just watch Jester.”

One by one, everyone seemed to turn their attention to Jester, who was seated across from Molly, to Aradelle’s left. She seemed entirely in her element, and was talking to Aradelle all about her home in Nicodranas. Fjord, who was between Jester and Caleb, seemed confused about whether or not they were allowed to start eating.

Finally, Aradelle looked down the table and seemed to notice the confusion and hesitation among them. She blinked a few times, then laughed and smiled widely. “Save your manners for later. We are among friends, are we not? Eat! Enjoy!”

Nott took Aradelle at her word, tugged down her mask and enthusiastically chomped down on a juicy turkey leg. Aradelle, to her credit, only looked briefly horrified before regaining her composure. She began to pick at her own meal, albeit far more politely.

Molly recognized quite a bit of the food presented, having traveled a decent amount in his past few years. It was quite the selection, and he made an effort to get a little bit of everything on his plate. Occasionally he would find something that was extra delicious and slide a bit onto Yasha’s plate, urging her to try it. She remained silently skeptical, but tried most of it.

Jester kept Aradelle entertained with all sorts of stories from their travels, and after some of the tension died down, the others joined the conversation as well. Molly couldn’t help but notice that Caleb and Nott were quiet, but it wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary. Caleb was also sticking to the dishes that had been placed closer to him, and Molly really wanted to pass him some of the sweet carrot-onion dish that was out of his reach. Or perhaps he could get Caleb to try one of the honeyed biscuits that were quickly disappearing from their plate.

“You’re staring at him,” Yasha said quietly.

Molly’s eyes snapped back to his plate, then to Aradelle. She noticed his gaze and gave him a quick smile, all while politely nodding along to Jester’s rambling.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Molly cut in when Jester paused to refill her plate, “how long has this been your home?”

Aradelle smiled fondly, looking around her at the beautifully decorated dining area and the ornate chandelier. “This estate has been in my family a very long time. I grew up here, as did my mother, and her mother as well.”

“That’s a long time for elves, right?” Jester asked, eyes going distant as she tried to do the math.

“A very long time, yes. Before the city was established, it was nothing but woodlands for miles in every direction.”

Molly could tell she was incredibly fond of her home, and couldn’t help but feel that she had every right to be. It was gorgeous, and he’d only gotten to see a small portion of the inside. It wasn’t every day that someone so wealthy seemed to truly appreciate what they had, but Aradelle was surprisingly humble. Molly liked her.

“Well, it’s an honor to be here,” Fjord said with sincerity, “but I do have to ask what the exact terms of our contract are.” He blotted at his lips with a napkin and then returned it to his lap, probably mimicking something he’d seen Jester do.

“Of course!” Aradelle took a sip of her wine and sat back. “I apologize for being so vague last night, but I was in a terrible hurry. I’m so glad you came, though, and even if you decide not to take the offer, you are more than welcome to stay the night.”

“Most appreciated,” Fjord nodded.

“I’m hosting an event in two days. It’s a gala of sorts, and a number of my kind will be visiting from all over.”

Molly leaned in. “A family gathering?”

Aradelle gave a sad sort of smile and shook her head. “It is more political in nature, really. I don’t have much family to speak of anymore.” Her gentle expression shifted into something a bit more sour. “Only a brother.”

“Hmm.” Molly had a feeling he knew where this was going. “Your brother, is he going to be at this event?” She nodded, almost meekly, and Molly instinctively reached out to put a hand over hers. “Is he a danger to you?”

Another nod. “There has been much discussion over the inheritance of this estate, and just this past year it was decided that it would go to me. I honestly couldn’t imagine being anywhere else…” Her gaze was decidedly sad now, and a hush had fallen over the table. Even Nott had stopped her loud chewing for the moment.

Fjord broke the silence. “He means to take it from you by force, then?”

“I believe so.” Aradelle sighed, took a deep breath, and sat up straighter. The sadness that had been there a moment ago was replaced by determination. “If my sources are correct, he means to have me assassinated. Due to various protections I have in place, the only time he can visit this estate is during the gala.”

Beau raised an eyebrow. “Can’t you just… un-invite him?” 

Aradelle chuckled. “I wish it were that simple. Unfortunately he is an established member in the political sphere I will be hosting, and even family friction does not give me enough leverage to do so.”

“So… you want us to kill him?” Jester asked a little too eagerly.

For all she tried to remain regal and polite, Aradelle seemed incredibly amused by the offer. “Perhaps just keep him from killing me, for starters.”

“You’re hiring seven bodyguards for one pissed off brother?” Beau seemed skeptical. “How tough is this guy?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Aradelle admitted. “We have not been in contact for about sixty years, other than brief exchanges at these events.”

Molly wondered briefly just how old Aradelle was, but decided it wasn’t polite to ask. She didn’t look any older than him or his companions. “Are you expecting him to bring help?”

“It is unlikely, but not entirely impossible. All of the guests have been carefully vetted, and none of them are particularly close to my brother. When you allow for significant others and the occasional apprentice, however…”

Beau shrugged. “Alright, so one douchebag brother and maybe some backup. How much are you offering?”

Aradelle looked over the group and nodded. “You will be provided with rooms up until the event, and for a few days afterwards if you choose. All of your meals and other such needs will be provided for in that time. If all goes well and I live to see the morning, I can give you a thousand gold pieces.” The paused, then smiled a bit coyly. “If you manage to protect me _and_ expose his plan for the other guests to see, I will double it.”

Even Jester’s eyes widened at that. “That- that sounds good, yeah?” She glanced around at the others quickly as they murmured agreements. Fjord was nodding enthusiastically and Caleb seemed to already be lost in the math of how much paper and ink he could get for that price.

Molly squeezed Aradelle’s hand and gave her his best smile. “It’s a deal. Now, enough business talk. Tell us a bit about yourself, why don’t you?” 

Aradelle seemed a bit surprised by Molly’s charm, but soon enough she was telling him all about the gardens and the estate, and how it had changed and grown as she had. She talked briefly of her parents, who had passed just a few years back, and though it was evident she missed them, she spoke of them with a smile. Molly learned that she and her brother had never been particularly close, and their parents' decision to leave the estate to her had left him furious.

As she spoke, and as they sipped at the expensive wine provided, Molly felt the days’ tension slowly lessen. His bad mood was replaced by faint intrigue, and his glances to Caleb became less and less frequent. Aradelle was beautiful and charming in her own right, and Molly was starting to think she was just the distraction he needed. 

When the plates were empty and the wine was nearly gone, two humans, a man and a woman, entered the room. They cleared the table swiftly, then brought out a number of pastries and fruit pies and other sweets. Hot mulled wine and, at Jester’s request, milk were brought out as well. Then they disappeared quietly back through the door that Molly guessed was the kitchen.

The spread of treats was beyond impressive. “Did they cook all of this?” Molly wondered.

Aradelle beamed with pride. “They did. Gesa and Thorben are wonderful cooks. We don’t often have company, so they tend to go all out when we do.”

“Are they your servants?” Yasha asked tentatively.

“They are well paid and happy, if that is what you are asking. They are both good friends.” She took a slice of pie for herself. “If you accept my offer, they will also be helping to train you a bit. I don’t know much of your backgrounds, but I imagine you may need some pointers to, ah, blend into the crowd, if you will.”

“Oh! I can disguise myself to look totally different,” Jester said quickly. With a faint shimmer, her normal appearance shifted into something similar to Aradelle’s. She had light brown skin with pointed elven ears, a short black bob, and bright green eyes. “Ta-da!”

Aradelle was clearly impressed. “That will come in handy. Though I’m embarrassed to admit it, many in this crowd have rather negative opinions of tieflings.” She blushed and glanced back to Molly. “I hold no such feelings, of course.”

“Well I can’t disguise myself quite so well, but I’m sure I can figure out something,” Molly winked. He thought he saw Caleb grimace out of the corner of his eye, but when he looked, the wizard was thoroughly engrossed in his pie.

“Nott, Caleb, and I can also disguise ourselves with a spell.” Fjord told Aradelle. 

“Perfect,” she smiled. “Well, I am glad to have your help in this matter. I will sleep better knowing you are here, and we can discuss details and a plan tomorrow, if you’d like.”

Molly nodded and sipped at his mulled wine. It was delicious, with just the right amount of spice, and it seemed to warm him from the inside and lull him further into relaxation. He closed his eyes and savored it. A fleeting memory of a conversation drifted through his thoughts. It had been a colder night, and Caleb had confided in Molly that mulled wine was his favorite drink. Molly had promised to buy him some next time they came across it, and Caleb had smiled at him in a way that made his heart beat strangely.

“Thorben and Gesa will show you to your rooms for the night.” Aradelle’s voice pulled Molly from his thoughts, and he noticed the candles were getting low. The pair of humans appeared from the kitchen, waiting to guide the group to their sleeping quarters. As Molly placed his napkin on the table and prepared to stand, a gentle hand on his arm made him pause. “Perhaps,” Aradelle said quietly, “you would be interested in a personal tour before bed?”

Molly hesitated for a fraction of a second, then smiled. “I’d love to.”

* * *

It was the early hours of the morning when Molly crept into the room Aradelle had told him the others were staying in. There were two large four-poster beds with thick fabric canopies, and Molly imagined that the room was quite stunning in the light.

Fjord was sprawled in one bed, easily recognizable by his familiar snoring. The other bed appeared empty at first, but when Molly stepped closer he could see a shape beneath the blankets and a pile of shaggy hair on the pillow. Caleb was curled tightly into a ball, taking up as little space as possible. Molly stood and watched him for a moment, studying his breathing. His breaths were shallow and too measured for him to be asleep.

“The alarm,” Molly realized. Of course he’d woken Caleb up. “I forgot; I’m sorry.”

Caleb didn’t respond, but there was a slight movement that might have been a shrug. The bed, even with all of its space, didn’t seem very inviting. Molly glanced over to Fjord’s bed, but the half-orc was stretched out across it in a way that didn’t leave much room.

“Is there another blanket?” Molly asked quietly, taking one of the extra pillows and setting it on the floor between the beds. He stripped out of his coat and laid it out for a bit of padding against the cold wood. 

“Sleep on the bed,” Caleb muttered.

Molly paused, then sighed. “Are you sure? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable”

“ _Ja._ Mollymauk, I am sure. _Gute Nacht_.”

“ _Qaav luqmz,_ ” Molly responded in infernal. “Sounds nicer in Zemnian.” He folded up his coat, set it aside carefully, and climbed into the bed. Once he was comfortable he closed his eyes, focusing on the sound of Caleb’s quiet breathing beside him. Eventually his measured breaths became more natural, he sighed into the pillow, and relaxed into sleep. It only took Molly a few minutes more to follow him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meant to post this yesterday, but I had a surprisingly eventful birthday, so here it is now! 
> 
> P.S. If you haven't watched Narrative Telephone, do it. It's literally the funniest thing I've ever watched in my whole life, and every episode leaves me _crying_.


	5. Chapter 5

Caleb woke early. Molly was beside him, shirtless and beautiful with a blanket just loosely tossed over his hips. The sight of him there filled Caleb with a number of conflicting feelings, and though he wanted to take the opportunity to study the sleeping tiefling, he also felt the need to escape the room unnoticed. He slipped out of bed, pulled on his clothes, and left in silence.

Gesa was already awake, and Caleb found her in the kitchen. She was preparing a large plate of fresh bread with several types of jam and honey on the side. As she worked, she hummed a song that reminded Caleb vaguely of his childhood.

“Excuse me, _Fräulein_ Gesa,” Caleb interrupted.

She stopped humming and looked up. “Oh, good morning, dear. Would you like some breakfast? It should be finished soon.” She smiled at Caleb, warm and motherly.

“ _Nein._ Ah, I was hoping to find something to read, actually.”

She picked up a piece of the fresh bread and smeared a thick layer of jam across it. “You’d find that in the library, I suppose.” She smiled and pressed the bread into Caleb’s hands before he could protest. “Out that door there and down the hall a ways. It’s on your left. Can’t miss it.”

An entire library was _exactly_ what Caleb needed to clear his head. “ _Danke schön_ ,” he said quickly. “Thank you.”

“Go on and enjoy yourself,” she chuckled, “but don’t get jam on the books. Aradelle is awfully protective of those things, you know.”

Caleb was already out the door before she finished speaking. The hall was large and lined with scenic paintings of landscapes from all around the world, and though they intrigued him some amount, he passed them quickly. The library was, as promised, easy to find. He slipped inside, clicked the door shut behind him, and let out a long, heavy sigh.

Then he sank down on the floor to eat his bread and think of anything but Mollymauk.

Aradelle’s library was gorgeous, much like the woman herself. It was a simple observation, but one that contributed to the war in his mind. On one hand, Aradelle was very likeable. She was kind and humble and clearly well read. On the other hand, she had swept Molly away the previous night and kept him for hours, the scent of her perfume still lingering on him when he came to bed. Caleb bit the inside of the cheek and reminded himself that Molly was not his. Caleb had been the one to push him away, after all, and he could hardly blame the tiefling for being intrigued by Aradelle.

He finished his bread, magicked away the crumbs for good measure, and began exploring. 

The vast majority of the collection seemed to be history, with dozens of neatly written journals kept by Aradelle and her ancestors about the state of the world. There were a few fiction novels, a handful of cookbooks, and a whole row of books on gardening techniques. Caleb selected a few of the more interesting history options, as well as a book that appeared to be about a scholar’s encounters with the Feywild, and made a stack by a corner window. He sat on the floor and began to read.

He managed to skim through the majority of the history books, learning several fascinating tidbits about elves and their past, before he felt the need to take a break. The sun coming through the window had moved quite a distance since he’d started, and the warmth on the back of his neck made him a bit drowsy. The smell of books surrounding him was comforting as well, but as his mind slowly came out of the literary realm and back to reality, a heavy melancholy settled in his gut.

He reached for the book about the Feywild, then hesitated. With a snap, he summoned Frumpkin instead.

“You’re a good cat,” he said quietly, scratching Frumpkin behind his ears. A gentle purr resonated from the creature and he relaxed a fraction. “I am an idiot, _ja_? I have good things and I push them away.”

Frumpkin rubbed against Caleb’s side and meowed. 

“I have no right to be upset with him. Aradelle is a lovely woman.” He waited for Frumpkin to disagree, but the cat seemed indifferent. “See, even you think so.”

Caleb sighed again and scooped Frumpkin up, burying his face in the soft orange fur. The heaviness in his heart was painful, but also confusing. He’d only slept with Molly twice, after all. It wasn’t like they’d broken things off after a long romance. They hadn’t even fought. And yet, it seemed like they’d been together longer, in a way. Nearly a year of traveling side by side, fighting all manner of things, saving each other's lives. Molly had been there to pull him out of his mind when fire engulfed it, and Caleb had been there when Molly’s past had come for him and tried to take him away.

It was for the better, though, Caleb reminded himself. Molly deserved somebody that was as beautiful as he was. Someone bright and eccentric. Someone kind and caring and good. Caleb was none of those things. Not even close.

A noise at the library door started Caleb out of his thoughts and his head shot up. There was a wet patch where his face had been pressed against Frumpkin, and he quickly swiped the back of his bandaged hand across his eyes..

“Caleb?” Nott’s voice called out to him tentatively.

He sighed, relieved. “In the back, _schatz_. Behind the shelves.” 

The door clicked shut and the soft patter of feet crossed the library. Nott poked her head around the corner, eyes quickly scanning Caleb up and down. “I’ve been looking for you for hours,” Nott frowned. “Are you okay?”

Caleb scratched absently at his arms and bit the inside of his cheek, then met her big yellow eyes with his watery blue ones. “ _Ja_ , I will be okay. I just need a bit of time is all.”

Nott studied him for a beat, scowled, and crossed her arms. “He hurt you, didn’t he.” Her voice was like ice, and Caleb wanted to recoil from it. “I told him-”

“No, _schatz_ , I hurt myself.”

Frumpkin hopped out of his lap and padded over to Nott, winding around her once before nudging her in Caleb’s direction. The goblin stepped forward and pulled out her flask, holding it out in offering. Caleb shook his head. Nott shrugged and took a drink for herself, then sat down on the floor next to Caleb and cuddled into his side. “You wanna talk about it?”

Caleb opened his mouth to say ‘no’, but different words tumbled out. “I think I love him.”

Nott, blessedly, held her judgement and considered the statement at face value. “Then why are you hiding from him in the library?”

Caleb knew she wouldn’t understand, so he just shook his head. They sat there in silence for several moments, and her closeness slowly helped to calm Caleb’s nerves. “This is a very nice library,” he finally said. “I think I’ll stay a bit longer. Perhaps I will find something useful.”

Nott sighed, but didn’t argue. “Okay, Caleb. But tomorrow Thorben wants to show us how to pretend to be servers.”

“ _Ja_? That should be interesting. All of us?”

“Just me and you and Beau and Yasha. The others get to dress up as guests.”

Caleb briefly imagined Molly dressed up in gala attire, but shoved the thought out of his mind. Instead he thought of Beau standing politely at the door, scowling and taking coats. He nearly chuckled. “I will see you tomorrow, then.”

Nott collected herself and sighed. “Alright.”

As she left the library, closing the door quietly behind her, Frumpkin curled up by Caleb’s side and set to purring again. “You are a good cat,” Caleb smiled. “She is a good friend.” He picked up the book on the Feywild and began to read. **  
**

It was well past dark when Caleb finally snuck out of the library and back towards the rooms. His stomach growled in complaint when the lingering scents of dinner met his nose, but he ignored it. His neck was aching from so many hours of reading and his brain was pleasantly full of knowledge. He could eat in the morning.

The room was quiet when he snuck inside, and thought he didn’t have any light to work with, he managed to set up his alarm spell without too much difficulty. By the time he was done, his eyes had adjusted enough to see the sleeping forms of Fjord and Molly in their respective beds. He shed his clothes and climbed in with Molly.

The tiefling was fast asleep, lying on his back and only half covered by the blanket. It was almost identical to how he’d been this morning. It was as if he’d never moved. An unexpected bolt of panic shot through Caleb and he reached out to touch Molly, then thought better of it. Of course the tiefling was fine. Caleb was just exhausted, mentally and emotionally. He needed to sleep. 

He curled up on his side, much closer to Molly than he had any right to be, and let his thoughts drift until they became nothing but fog.   
  


* * *

  
Caleb hurried down the street, new book tucked under his arm as he headed for the inn. He felt like he’d been here before, in this exact moment, but the details were not quite right. It was too warm for late evening, and the people in the streets seemed to drift by in a stupor. The inn came into view, and rather than the one he had expected, it was The Nestled Nook. Laughter, familiar, could be heard through the windows. 

He took a step forward to enter the inn and join in his friend's revelries, but a cart blocked the door. It was their cart, with some of Jester’s doodles on the side of the wood and the shabby wheel that they’d never fully repaired. 

Caleb pushed on the cart, trying to move it out of the doorway, but it wouldn’t budge. Anxiety tightened his chest and he pushed harder, yelling for his friends to help him. When he stepped back to peer through the windows, the glass shattered outward and flames licked at his face.

He stumbled back, horrified as the entire building began to burn. There was shattered glass in his skin and smoke curling around him from where his coat was singed, and when he looked up to the top floors of the building he could see a figure banging on the window. Caleb recognized the silhouette by the shape of its horns, and then the fire lit up the familiar colors of Molly’s coat.

“Caleb!” Molly yelled, seeing the wizard standing shell-shocked in the street below. The glass shattered, but Molly was already engulfed in flames. “Why?” Caleb surged forward and grabbed the cart again, tearing it away from the door. Flames licked at his face and burned his hair away, but he could still hear Molly’s screaming and he knew he couldn’t give up. 

Something smacked him hard in the face. “ _Qavw vipluz_ , wake up!”   
  


* * *

  
Molly swore in relief as Caleb’s eyes snapped open and he lurched up and gasped for air. He quickly put a hand to his mouth, as if he thought he might throw up. “You’re safe, love. Breathe for me.” Molly gently pulled the blankets away from Caleb’s too-hot skin and glanced over to Fjord’s bed. 

Fjord had been startled awake by Caleb’s screams as well. He watched with concern, obviously wanting to help but not knowing what to do. “Is he okay?” He mouthed silently.

Molly turned back to Caleb, resting one hand gently on his back and the other on his knee. “I don’t know what you dreamt about, but it wasn’t real. You are here, on a ridiculously fancy estate, with me and Fjord. Nott’s just in the other room, with the girls.” 

“I can’t…” Caleb said quietly. He was staring at his hands, shaking his head back and forth. “ _Es tut mir Leid, Es tut mir Leid_.”

Molly frowned, wishing he had a better idea of how to help. “Do you want me to get Nott?” Caleb squeezed his eyes shut and made a noise like a whine, and Molly’s heart broke. “I’ve got you, love. Deep breath. Can you call Frumpkin for me?”

With a weak snap of Caleb’s fingers, Frumpkin appeared on the bed. He set to purring immediately, curling up in Caleb’s lap like an orange puddle. While Caleb tangled his fingers in the cat’s fur, Molly leaned backwards off the bed to feel around on the floor for his bag. When he found it, he grabbed his waterskin and pulled himself upright. 

He splashed a bit of water on his hand and used it to smooth back Caleb’s hair, then offered the container to the wizard. “Drink something, it will help wake you up.” Molly glanced back to Fjord and gave him a reassuring nod. 

“ _Danke_ ,” Caleb murmured against the mouth of the waterskin. He took a long drink. “I am… I will be okay, I think.” 

“I’m here for as long as it takes,” Molly promised. “Would it help to talk about it?”

Caleb shook his head and handed the water back. “I don’t think so.”

“Alright, that’s fine.” Molly screwed the cap back on the waterskin and dropped it off the side of the bed. He could see Fjord sinking back under the covers for a few more hours of shut-eye. “Do you want to go back to sleep, or would it be better to stay up?”

Caleb sighed, and seemed to be torn. The heat on his skin from his nightmare had subsided, and after another moment he shivered. When he finally looked up at Molly, his expression was almost pleading. “Will you stay?”

“Of course, love.” Molly’s heart ached for him, and he leaned forward and kissed Caleb on the forehead before he could think better of it. Caleb didn’t seem to mind, though, and even leaned into the touch.

Molly shook out their blankets and fluffed the pillows, setting them up a bit closer than they had been. Caleb watched silently, petting Frumpkin the entire time, until Molly announced it was done. Frumpkin padded across the bed and curled up next to Caleb’s pillow, still purring, and Caleb finally seemed to relax. He laid back and sighed, waiting for Molly to follow suit. Molly wanted so badly to pull Caleb into his side and hold him, but the last thing he wanted to do was upset the wizard. So instead he flopped back, close enough to let Caleb know he was there, but not so close that they were touching. 

A moment passed in silence, and then Molly felt Caleb’s fingers wrap around his forearm, holding on to him like an anchor. His resolve broke and he sighed. “Roll over,” he instructed quietly, doing the same. Caleb did as he was told, rolling onto his side. Molly slipped an arm around his midsection and tugged him closer until his back was flush with Molly’s chest. His unkempt hair tickled Molly’s nose, and the tiefling resisted the urge to kiss it flat. “Is this okay?”

“ _Ich verdiene dich nicht,_ ” Caleb whispered.

Molly gave him a gentle squeeze. “Common, please.”

“ _Ja_ , Mollymauk,” Caleb said softly. “This is okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Translations:**  
>  _"Es tut mir Leid, Es tut mir Leid":_ "I am sorry, I am sorry"  
>  _“Ich verdiene dich nicht”:_ "I do not deserve you"  
>  _"Qavw vipluz":_ "Gods damn it" (Infernal)  
> (I do not actually speak any "Zemnian", so feel free to correct anything if I'm every using words strangely!)
> 
>  _Hallo!_ Sorry for the unexpected holiday break. December was a busy month for me o.o Should be back on track now with posting everything Thursday! Thank you so, so, so much for all the amazing comments. You guys make me so happy ><


	6. Chapter 6

Molly woke to a gentle nudging on his shoulder and quietly murmured words, followed by a chuckle. “Come on, Mollymauk, I need to get up.”

Caleb’s body was warm against his. He knew he should open his eyes, but he wanted to savor the moment a bit longer. It was so much like the morning they’d woken up next to each other in the tavern, after their first night together. The nudges continued though, and he finally cracked an eye open. Caleb was watching him with tired blue eyes and a faint smile. “Morning.”

“Good morning to you too, _Herr_ Tealeaf,” Caleb said softly, a hint of amusement in his sleep-graveled voice. “I need to get up, if you don’t mind.” 

“Mmm, sorry.” Molly pulled his arm back from where it had been draped across Caleb’s waist.

Instead of moving away, Caleb just chuckled quietly. “Your tail, Mollymauk.”

“My tail?” Molly had been so distracted by how utterly kissable Caleb looked, freshly awake and bathed in morning light, that he wasn’t sure he’d heard correctly. Then Caleb shifted under the covers and there was an uncomfortable tug. Molly realized quite suddenly that his tail was firmly wrapped around Caleb’s thigh. “Oh… gods, sorry,” Molly groaned. He covered his face with one hand and unwound his tail. “That’s embarrassing…”

“Ah, could be worse,” Caleb muttered. He flushed a bit and it made Molly wonder. “Really, it’s fine. Sometimes, when I share a bed with Nott, I will wake up to her chewing on my shin in her sleep.”

“Pfft, really?” Molly really wouldn’t put it past her.

“Once or twice.” Caleb sat up slowly and rubbed at his eyes. “We are supposed to meet Thorben in the kitchens, Nott and I.”

A vague memory of the day’s plans being discussed tickled at the back of Molly’s mind. “Right. Beau and Yasha too.”

“ _Ja_ , should be fun.”

Molly reclined in the bed and watched Caleb dress, too tired and content to remember that he should probably look away. There was just enough light from the windows to make out the smattering of freckles, and the almost healed bite mark on Caleb’s shoulder. Molly felt an odd combination of pride and disappointment when he laid eyes on it, then Caleb slipped on his shirt and hid it from view.

There was a knock on the door just as Caleb finished dressing. Before either of them could respond, it swung open to reveal Beau. She looked at Molly, half naked and reclining on a stack of pillows, and wrinkled her nose. Molly winked and waved at her. “You know, barging in two seconds after knocking really defeats the purpose of knocking.”

“Whatever,” Beau said, flipping Molly off. She looked at Caleb. “Are you coming, loverboy?” 

“You are so _loud_ in the morning, Beauregard,” Caleb complained, rubbing his temples. He yawned and reached out to scratch Frumpkin on the head. “I am ready, though. Lead the way.” He followed Beau out the door, then paused and leaned back in. He met Molly’s eyes. “Thank you, by the way. For, ah, you know.” He ducked back out the door before Molly could respond.

When they were gone, Molly closed his eyes and relaxed back into the pillows, wondering what he would do with his day. 

“So are you two… back together?” Fjord drawled curiously.

Molly’s eyes snapped open. He hadn’t even realized Fjord was awake, let alone listening to them the entire time. When he glanced over, the half-orc was watching him with a curious expression. “There was no _together_ ,” Molly shrugged. “It was just sex.”

Fjord’s eyebrows knitted together in an odd mix of confusion and concern. “Does Caleb know that?”

Molly bit the inside of his cheek. “Why wouldn’t he?”

“Yeah, uh, well, the other night?” Fjord cleared his throat awkwardly. “I don’t want to assume anything, but I’m guessing you were with Aradelle.” Molly nodded. “He, uh, seemed pretty put out by that. I know I’m not the best at picking up on those types of things, but… just some food for thought, alright?”

Molly nodded slowly, remembering the night. He’d thought Caleb was just uncomfortable sharing a bed with him after their talk that morning, but if what Fjord was saying was true, maybe there was more to this than Molly understood. He sighed and managed a smile at the half-orc. “Right. Thanks.”  
  


* * *

Molly wasn’t particularly hungry yet, and the cool breeze outside was enticing. After dressing in some of his more comfortable clothes, he made his way outside to the garden. He wandered through for a while, picking a few flowers here and there to tuck into his curls. Some of them he planned to give to Yasha, and some he thought to stick in Caleb’s hair if he thought he could get away with it. When he came across a sunny patch of short, moss-like grass, he decided to lie down for a bit and enjoy the warmth.

He dozed for a while, basking in the sun as it climbed higher in the sky. It was hard to tell how much time passed, but it didn’t seem to matter as much in these peaceful gardens. He might have laid there for the entire day, but a rustling bush pulled him from his meditations. He cracked one eye open to see Frumpkin stalking out from between the leaves.

“Fancy meeting you here,” he said to the cat, closing his eye again. His stomach was starting to grumble, but he couldn’t bring himself to get up just yet.

Frumpkin chirped at him and jumped on his chest, kneading a bit before settling into a comfortable loaf. After a long moment of silence, Molly felt the gentle vibration of his purring. It seemed odd to enjoy the cat’s company without Caleb nearby.

“Oh, Frumpkin,” Molly sighed. “What have I gotten myself into?”

Frumpkin continued to purr, which Molly took as a sign to continue.

“Aradelle was wonderful, really. I’ve no right to complain.” He sighed, and then went on to do just that. “It’s just hard to get Caleb off my mind. You must know the feeling, right? I mean, he’s _literally_ in your mind sometimes.” As an afterthought, he peeked at Frumpkin to make sure the cat’s eyes were their normal yellow and not glowing blue. “That would be awkward,” he said mostly to himself.

Frumpkin stood and stretched, then hopped off of Molly’s chest. He looked back for a moment, as if waiting for Molly to follow.

“He doesn’t want to see me, Frumpkin. I don’t know what I did, but I don’t think he’s interested anymore.” Even if they had woken up together on better terms, Caleb had still spent the entirety of the day before avoiding him.

Frumpkin sat down in the grass and glared at Molly.

“You’re awfully judgmental, you know. Fine.”

Molly pulled himself off the soft ground and dusted away the bits of earth that clung to him, then followed the cat back through the garden and into the house again. They went through the west wing, where the sleeping rooms were, and down a discreet hall. There was a doorway at the end, and Molly could hear the hustle and bustle just beyond it. Voices were drowned out by the clanging of dishes and sloshing of water, and the delicious smells wafting down the hallway marked this room very clearly as a kitchen.

Frumpkin sauntered into the room. Molly poked his head in a bit more cautiously. Caleb, Yasha, Beau, and Nott were all crammed into the room with Thorben, who was a bit red in the face and clearly overwhelmed. He wielded a spoon in one hand, which he used to smack Nott’s hands as she attempted to stuff some bacon in her pocket. In his other hand he held a book of some sort that had clearly seen better days. 

“Knead it gently, don’t beat it to death,” he instructed Beau, who was manhandling a large lump of dough. “Tall lady, get some more pie plates down from that shelf up there. And you, boy, quit standing there! Go fetch me some- ack!” His eyes fell on Frumpkin. “No beasts in the kitchen! Shoo!” 

Caleb glared at Thorben and snapped his fingers. Frumpkin vanished. Then his eyes fell on Molly, who was standing in the doorway trying to decide if he should laugh or run. The pleading look Caleb gave him made up his mind. “I… don’t want to know. Have fun, kids.” He backed out of the doorway quickly and headed back the way he came. 

Eventually Molly ran into Jester. She was carrying an armful of things that looked like supplies for a picnic, and she sighed in relief when she saw Molly approaching. “Help me carry this! Gesa said the kitchen was a bit crazy, so she packed us some lunch. She told me there’s a really nice place behind the house to have a picnic, and Fjord’s gonna meet us there in a bit too.” 

Molly rushed to pluck a bottle of wine and a trio of glasses out of her hands before she dropped them. “Why, I would love to join you for a picnic while our friends slave away in the kitchens,” Molly purred, only half sarcastic. The Nein was a fair bunch, and he had no doubt that the group pulled for kitchen duty would see a bit more gold for their troubles. 

Jester led the way to a gorgeous shade tree just beside one of the many ponds. After taking a moment to choose the perfect spot, she unrolled the blanket she’d brought and laid it out for them. Then she began to unpack the large basket of food Gesa had sent them along with, revealing far more than the three of them would be able to eat. Molly sat next to her and started to work the cork out of the bottle.

“This is romantic,” Jester said happily, setting out the breads and cheeses they’d scored, along with two apples and a handful of cherries. She left the sandwiches in the basket for when Fjord joined them. “You should bring Caleb here tomorrow. I bet he’d _really_ like it.”

“Hmm, should I?” Molly asked absentmindedly, pouring himself a healthy serving of wine. Jester was right that the setting was romantic, in a way. Even in the afternoon light, the entire garden still held that ethereal quality. The trees, though not abnormal in size, seemed ancient and wise. Soft green moss clung to the tree trunks and colorful mushrooms grew beneath them, peeking up between the blades of grass. The ponds all held glimmering fish and lilypads that floated lazily on the surface, and the ever-present wind made all of the plant life shift and sway every so slightly. It was incredibly peaceful. “Caleb might like this.”

Jester carefully stacked a slice of apple and a bit of cheese on her piece of bread. Molly sipped at his wine and popped a cherry in his mouth. “So are you, like, totally in love with him?”

Molly spit out the cherry pit and raised an eyebrow. “Caleb?” He swirled his wine and thought for a moment. “I mean, of course I love him. I love all of you guys. Gods, we’ve been through hell and back together, it seems.”

“No, no, no,” Jester said around a mouthful of food. Molly waited patiently for her to finish chewing. “I mean like, _in love_.”

Molly took a bigger sip of wine and reached for another cherry. Love was something that had always come easy to him, but being _in love_ with somebody was a concept that Molly wasn’t sure he really understood. “I care about him a great deal,” he finally said, hoping that answered her question.

Jester leaned back on her hands and looked out over the pond, pursing her lips in thought. “Would you be sad if he was with somebody else?”

“I don’t think so,” Molly answered automatically. “Well…” The more he thought about it, the more complicated it seemed to become. “I suppose it depends on the context. Wine?”

“Okay,” she smiled. “But only a little!” She held out her glass and let Molly fill it halfway. “What if he like… what if he had sex with Aradelle?”

“Mmm,” Molly considered, picturing it in his mind. Caleb, naked and spread out on Aradelle’s expensive sheets, pale skin against blood red fabric, watching with eyes half-open as Aradelle rode him… Or better yet, Caleb pushing the elven woman into the sheets as he fucked into her, lost in the pleasure of it… 

“Mollyyy,” Jester called to him teasingly.

“Yeah, no, that’s pretty hot. Not opposed.”

Jester giggled and took a sip of her wine, then propped the glass up against the basket and resumed making her bread-apple-cheese towers. “Okay, but what if she like… fell in love with him and he decided to stay here and marry her and have lots of babies and stuff.”

That did put a bit of a sour taste in his mouth. He washed it out with more wine and his head started to tingle slightly with the buzz of it. “Seems unlikely.” 

“Yeah,” Jester agreed. “It’d be pretty weird.”

Molly finished his wine and leaned back onto the blanket, watching the clouds float by through the leaves of the tree above. He thought of lying here, enjoying the warm breeze on his skin while Caleb read beside him. Then his mind wandered back to the night they’d spent together. Caleb didn’t trust easily, but he’d allowed Molly to magically subdue him, to strip him of his spells and movement and sight. And afterwards, Caleb had chosen to stay. He’d crawled into bed with Molly, curled into his side, and fallen right to sleep.

The thought of Caleb having sex with somebody else didn’t bother Molly. Not really. It was the thought of him trusting someone else like that, gifting somebody else with that vulnerable side of him, that made something in Molly’s heart clench uncomfortably. Maybe it was selfish, but Molly wanted to keep that part of Caleb for himself. 

“Do you think he’d ever love me back?” Molly asked.

Jester reached over and ruffled Molly’s hair affectionately. “How could he not?”

* * *

After more cooking than Caleb had done in his entire life and what seemed like hours of learning how to properly balance a tray with varying numbers of wine glasses, Thorben finally relented and allowed them to call it a night. Nott and Beau had gotten the hang of it much faster than Yasha and Caleb, but after far more practice than he’d anticipated, he felt fairly capable. It was terribly boring work, though, and he ached for a few hours with a good book to stimulate his brain. 

He heavily considered a trip to the library, just for an hour or two, but exhaustion won out. After Molly had woken him from his nightmare, he’d been unable to fully fall back asleep. Glimpses of fire and spikes of panic kept him just on the edge of it, until he’d given up and watched the sun rise though the window. The sunrise seemed so long ago now. There was only candlelight to guide him back to the sleeping quarters, feet dragging and eyes bleary.

When he pushed open the door to the room, he found Fjord in bed reading something that looked like a sailor’s almanac and Molly saying a quick prayer over his swords. Both of them glanced up at the same time, took a long look at Caleb, and burst out laughing. 

Caleb frowned. He was too tired for their antics. “What are you laughing at?” He asked sourly. “I’ve had a very long day and I want to go to bed.”

Molly stood, smiling wide, and walked towards Caleb with his hands up. “Oh, no, no. You are not getting in bed like that.”

“Like what?” Caleb protested, even though he let Molly turn him around and push him back towards the door. He was too tired to fight it.

“You are covered head to toe in flour, and I think you have jam in your hair. Washroom. Come on.” Molly ushered him back out the door, a gentle hand on the small of his back to guide him. 

“Mollymauk, I am dead tired,” he complained. A bath sounded like far too much work, even with the tiefling’s assistance.

“We’ll make it quick, and then straight to bed. Gods, if Jester saw you she’d eat you up. You smell like a pastry,” Molly chuckled. 

Caleb vaguely wondered what he would have to smell like for Molly to want to eat him up, but he banished the thought with a scowl. The sleepier he got, the more he let his guard down when it came to affectionate thoughts about the tiefling. And now here he was, being led into the wash room by none other than Mollymauk himself.

“The bath is only large enough for one of us,” Caleb noted with a bit of relief when they entered the room. 

Molly shrugged. “I’ve already bathed. I was just going to wash your hair for you.” He plucked something out of Caleb’s hair and held it up. “You really do have jam in your hair. Strawberry?”

Caleb sighed and began to strip. “Don’t remind me.”

Molly turned and waited politely for Caleb to remove the rest of his clothing and climb into the tub. The water was cool and filled with some sort of bath salts that clouded the liquid. Caleb closed his eyes and warmed the water with a quick spell.

Once he’d had a moment to settle into the bath, Molly came around the front and picked up a small bucket. He’d rolled his sleeves up at some point, and Caleb was too tired not to stare at the intricately decorated skin. “Tip your head forward so I can get your hair wet.”

Caleb obliged, expecting an uncomfortable deluge of water to be dropped on his head, but Molly was slow and careful with the way he poured the water, keeping it from running into Caleb’s ears. “How was your day?” Caleb finally remembered to ask.

“I almost feel bad talking about it,” Molly admitted. Caleb could hear the smile in his voice. “I had a nice chat with Frumpkin this morning. Then I went on a picnic with Jester and Fjord and drank lots of very expensive wine.” He set the bucket down and reached over to one of the shelves. Small bottles clinked together as Molly tried to choose one. “Rich people always have the good soaps.”

Caleb blinked a few times, letting the rest of Molly’s words catch up with him. “You spoke to Frumpkin?”

“I did. He’s a wonderful listener, if a bit judgmental.” The faint scent of pine drifted through the air as Molly tangled his soaped fingers into Caleb’s hair and began to massage. Caleb’s eyes drifted shut and he let out a long sigh. “There we go,” Molly purred.

“You have very talented fingers, Mollymauk,” Caleb muttered. It briefly occurred to him how that sounded, but he was too tired to care. It was the truth, anyway. Despite his rather sharp claws, Molly didn’t scratch him once. The pressure on Caleb’s scalp was perfect, rubbing in firm circles and doing wonders for the headache he hadn’t even noticed he’d been harboring.

If Molly said anything else, Caleb didn’t hear it. He was warm and tired and lost in the methodical way that Molly rinsed his hair out one handful of water at a time. It was hardly practical, but he couldn’t find it in himself to complain.

At some point, Molly pressed a bar of soap into Caleb’s hand and told him to finish washing up. He did so, movements slow and clumsy as he tried to stay awake. Then Molly returned with some clean smallclothes from his pack and a towel, helped him out of the bath and dried him off. He blotted the water from Caleb’s neck, paused, and leaned a bit closer. 

“That’s odd...” He reached up and ran a gentle finger over the place he had bitten Caleb almost a week ago, studying it with a curious expression.

Caleb’s skin prickled at the barely-there pressure of Molly’s touch. He craved Molly’s teeth on his skin again. “It’s almost healed,” he muttered. “The salve you have, it works very well.”

“I know it does, but…” Molly sounded confused, which brought Caleb back a bit from his sleepy haze. “Let me see the others?”

“Is something wrong?” Caleb watched as Molly circled around him, inspecting the bite on his shoulder, the faint pink lines on his chest, and the still slightly bruised bite on the inside of his thigh. They had all healed exceptionally fast with the help of Molly’s mystery salve, and Caleb couldn’t help but feel a warmth when he remembered how gently Molly had cared for him afterwards.

Finally, Molly straightened and put a gentle hand on Caleb’s cheek, tilting his face down. Molly’s eyes were on Caleb’s lips, and for a brief moment he thought Molly was going to kiss him. Instead, he ran his thumb over the small cut on his lip. It was the one from a few nights ago, when Molly had bound them together with his magic a second time. “Your lip and your neck. The places where I took your blood for the spell…” Molly’s voice was quiet and low in a way that would have turned Caleb on if he weren’t so incredibly tired.

Caleb nodded. “What about them?”

“They’re going to scar, love,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

Caleb studied Molly’s face. He was clearly regretful that he’d left a permanent mark on the wizard without his permission, but at the same time he had a possessive look in his eyes that made Caleb’s breath catch in his throat. When he thought about it, he found that he didn’t mind the idea. He was covered in scars from all manner of encounters, some of which served as dark reminders of his past. But a scar from the time he’d spent with Molly seemed like more of a souvenir. 

Caleb reached for one of Molly’s hands, lifted it, and pressed it over the mark on his neck. “I don’t mind.”

“Jester might be able to do something about it,” Molly said tentatively, eyes still locked on Caleb’s lips.

“I…” Caleb cursed his tired brain and the weakness of the walls he’d been trying to put up. “I like them, Molly. It’s fine.”

Molly sucked in a breath and his eyes went a shade darker. “ _Kydalq,_ ” he purred in infernal. He swayed closer to Caleb, their lips only inches apart, then froze and rocked back on his feet. After a steadying breath he mumbled, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“Mm.” Caleb’s hand still rested over Molly’s where it was pressed against the side of his neck. He tried to remember if he’d ever heard that word before. “What does it mean?”

Molly just shook his head and pulled his hand away. “We need to get you to bed.” 

Slowly, Caleb pulled on the clothes Molly had brought him and dropped his towel into a basket by the bath. He managed another simple spell to leave the bathwater clean so Gesa wouldn’t have to change it, and one more to rid his coat of the flour and other cooking stains. The effort of even such simple magic left him drained, and he yawned loudly as they left the washroom.

“Did you sleep at all last night, after your nightmare?” Molly questioned. Caleb just shrugged and followed the tiefling back to the bedroom. Fjord was snoring softly in his bed, and Caleb wasted no time crawling in to the other. The room was cold and he groped blindly for the blanket, tugging it up over his damp hair. The bed dipped as Molly joined him.

“Caleb?” Molly’s voice sounded far away, like it was part of a dream.

“ _Ja_ , Molly?”

“I know I’m a naturally warm creature, but I’m going to need some of that blanket,” he murmured, tugging at the edge a bit. Caleb released his grip on it and let Molly arrange it so it was covering both of them. If he moved a bit closer once they were settled, well, that was only because it was cold.

“Tomorrow,” Caleb started, trailing off as the thought dissolved. He didn’t think it had been terribly important.

Molly chuckled softly. “Go to sleep, Caleb.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> It's Thursday again! Thank you so much for all of your comments and kudos... they are the highlight of my week <3 Typically I include translations, but I think this time I'll let you guys wonder what _"Kydalq"_ means. (I usually use LingoJam's infernal translator, but the word I wanted wasn't translating nicely so I kind of played around with it.) Feel free to make your guesses, or just wait until Caleb finds out <3


	7. Chapter 7

The morning of the Gala started far earlier than Caleb, or any of The Nein really, had been prepared for. Gesa knocked at their doors before the sun was even up to let them know preparations were underway. “If you want breakfast beforehand, best get up now dears,” she called to them before rushing back to the kitchen. 

Caleb untangled himself from a groggy Mollymauk, not bothering to scold himself for cuddling up against the tiefling in his sleep. It was a losing battle, really, and Molly was just as guilty.

They all rose and dressed quickly, shuffling down the hall and over to the dining room where they’d shared their first meal with Aradelle. She was already present at the head of the table, looking well rested but obviously stressed. Various breakfast foods and pastries were laid out for all of them, and Caleb recognized a few as things he had helped bake the day before. Molly grabbed a strawberry jam tart and winked at him. 

“Today’s the day, I suppose,” Aradelle greeted, taking a deep breath as they settled into their chairs. The smell of fresh roasted coffee rose from the mugs in front of them and Caleb eagerly reached for his.

“Don’t worry, Aradelle, we won’t let anything happen to you,” Jester promised. “We have a plan!”

Fjord paused with a biscuit halfway to his mouth and side-eyed Jester. “We do?”

“ _We_ do.” She gestured to the ladies at the table. “Don’t worry, Fjord, it’s a _really_ good plan.” Beau nodded in agreement, though her mouth was too full of pastry to comment.

“I trust you,” Aradelle said, sitting up straighter. She was either very good at feigning confidence, or she really did think their band of misfits could pull this off. Either way, Caleb thought her bravery in the face of a looming attempt on her life was impressive. “Well,” she smiled, “let’s eat and enjoy a bit more peace before the preparations begin.”

* * *

When Thorben came to take away the breakfast plates, he informed Caleb, Nott, Beau, and Yasha that they would be expected in the kitchen in one hour. It was hardly enough time to discuss the entirety of their plan, but they managed to go over it thoroughly enough.

While they talked, Aradelle led them upstairs for the first time. Like the bottom floor, there was an east wing, a west wing, and the center portion of the home. Both east and west of the upper floor were a collection of rooms where some of the guests would be staying the night. The center, however, was an enormous ballroom. Every part of it- from the polished floors to the glittering chandeliers- was absolutely stunning in its beauty. Two long tables lined one of the walls, mostly bare aside from rows of glasses and stacks of plates that Beau had spent hours polishing the day before. There were also a dozen smaller round tables that framed the room, each with four chairs. The center of the room was left open- for dancing and mingling, Caleb assumed.

“My parents used to hold events at our home far more often than I do. I know this is all a bit much, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to change it.” She almost looked a bit embarrassed by the extravagance of it all. “There will be food served up here, as well as in the gardens below.” She motioned for them to follow, leading the way across the room to three sets of glass doors. The ones to the left and the right led to semi-private balconies. The larger doors in the middle opened up to a marble staircase, which would take the guests to the gardens below. 

The Nein looked out over the gardens, which were both beautiful and full of places for potential assassins to hide. Decorative lanterns hung from trees, forming a perimeter around the outdoors area, and a dozen tables and chairs were placed on the lawn. “One of us will need to stay with you,” Caleb thought aloud. “There is a lot of space for guests to spread out.”

“I’ll tail her,” Beau offered. “People aren’t gonna pay as much attention to severs.”

“True,” Caleb agreed. He scanned the garden below for any useful details, such as where the shadows would fall when the sun began to set and what trees or other obstructions might be best to hide behind.

“I call dibs on the brother,” Nott spoke up. “As soon as he tries anything weird I can message.” Her fingers flexed by her side as if she were tempted to reach for her crossbow.

Fjord nodded in agreement. “I’ll talk to the guests. See if I can suss out who he’s working with.” He thought for a moment, then turned to Aradelle. “What’s his name, anyway? Don’t think you ever told us.”

“Valogar,” Aradelle answered with a grimace. “I’ll go over the entire guest list with those of you who will be posing as guests. There are many that I know would never work alongside him, some that I do not know well enough to make such a judgement, and some that I simply don’t trust.” Fjord, Jester, and Molly all nodded.

They spent a bit more time discussing their ideas, as well as various back-up options depending on how things panned out, until an hour had passed and Caleb reluctantly informed Nott that their time was up. Beau and Yasha heard him as well, and the four bid the others farewell and trudged down the stairs. 

“It’s really not so bad,” Yasha said when Beau complained about having to polish glasses. “I’ve learned quite a bit.”

“I think Thorben has it out for me, honestly. He hasn’t let me touch any of the food since I burnt the stupid muffins.” Beau sighed and stretched. “Whatever. At least I might get to punch an asshole elf tonight.”

“ _Ja_ , it has been a while since you have punched someone.” Caleb agreed.. “Nearly a day now.” He rubbed his arm where Beau had socked him yesterday after he’d made a comment about her stirring technique. 

Beau rolled her eyes, but smiled. “I barely tapped you.”

“Tell that to the bruise on my arm, Beauregard.” Caleb smiled back.

Just as they were about to enter the kitchens, Nott slowed and hung back a bit. “I, uh…” She glanced over her shoulder. “I forgot to ask Aradelle something.” The words came out in a bit of a rush, and Caleb noticed her eyes dart back and forth the way they did when she was lying. “I’ll be right back!” She took a swig from her flask and darted back in the direction they’d come from.

Caleb, Beau, and Yasha watched her go with matching expressions of confusion. 

“That wasn’t suspicious at all,” Beau muttered.

Before Caleb could respond, Thorben appeared and herded them into the kitchen. “Don’t know what took you lot so long,” he complained. “An’ yer short one.”

* * *

Fjord, Jester, and Aradelle sat at one of the tables in the ballroom, staring down at a piece of parchment with a long list of names. Molly stood behind them, looking over Jester’s shoulder and toying with the ribbon on one of her horns. He was only half listening to the descriptions, and his attention was pulled away entirely by the quiet pattering of quick feet coming up the stairs. Nott appeared a moment later.

“Oh hi, Nott!” Jester piped up. “Everything okay?”

“Yep, everything’s okay. Just peachy. Totally fine.” Her eyes fell on Molly and stayed there.

“Okay, cool!” Jester turned back to Aradelle, who continued down the list.

Molly raised an eyebrow at Nott. The goblin pointed at him, pointed at herself, and jabbed her thumb in the direction of the stairs. Molly didn’t know what she wanted with him, but he gave her a quick nod and waited until he could slip himself into the conversation. “Nott needs a bit of help in the kitchen. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

Nott had already vanished back down the stairs. Molly found her at the door of the library, holding it open and waiting for him. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Miss Nott?” He walked past her and into the enormous room, hoping he wasn’t about to get a crossbow bolt in his back. He played it cool and wandered forward to browse the book selection.

“It’s about Caleb,” Nott said. The door clicked shut.

Molly heard her take a drink from her flask and sighed. He hadn’t thought about how Caleb’s moping would look to Nott, and Nott had promised Molly a slow and gruesome death if he did anything to hurt Caleb. “I think we might have a little misunderstanding here,” he said, turning to face her. Surprisingly, she was unarmed. 

“Yes, we do.” She seemed to sense his apprehension and smiled a bit. She had a lot of teeth. “Lucky for you, I talked to Caleb first.”

“Oh? Did he tell you he called things off?”

Nott tilted her head in thought. “No. That explains some things, then.”

“Huh,” Molly frowned. “I was hoping maybe he told you why. He’s been…” Molly considered the past few days. “I’ve been getting a lot of mixed signals and frankly I’m confused."

Nott nodded slowly, as if she were piecing things together. She studied Molly closely, took another drink, and screwed the cap back onto her flask. “You care about him?”

“Absolutely.” There was no doubt in Molly’s mind about that.

“Good. I have a feeling I know what’s going on with him.” Nott looked a bit sad, which wasn’t an expression Molly saw on her face often. Even her ears seemed to droop a bit. “I think he’s just... being Caleb.”

Molly considered the statement for a moment, then decided he had absolutely no idea what Nott was talking about. “Care to elaborate?”

“It’s just… a thing he does,” she said, gesturing vaguely in the air. “Something makes him happy, and it might last for a while, then he decides he doesn’t deserve it and pushes it away. It’s like he’s punishing himself for the past, but that’s not even fair because the stuff he did wasn’t his fault…” she huffed and crossed her arms again. “We almost left several times, in the beginning.”

Molly considered her words. “So… he’s trying to push me away because he thinks he doesn’t deserve me?” Even saying it out loud sounded absurd. 

“Yep, pretty much. He’s getting better… I mean, just the fact that he decided to let go and fool around with you in the first place shows that. But then he realized he has _feelings_ and scared himself right back into his old habits.”

“He what?”

Nott glanced up at him and wrinkled her nose a bit. “Can’t say I know _why_ , but he loves you. So do something about it.”

The words took a few tries to lodge themselves into Molly’s brain, but when they did, he found himself grinning despite his best efforts to keep a straight face. “Yeah?” His tail swished, looping in a figure-eight pattern, and he almost felt giddy. .

“For the record, I think he could do much better,” she said quickly as she watched Molly’s face light up. The happier he got, the more sour her expression became, but he knew she was just being difficult. “And what I said before still stands. You hurt him…” She drew a long goblin finger across her neck in an exaggerated motion.

“Understood.” Molly beamed at her.

She fixed him with a stern look and held it for a moment, then turned to open the library door. “Oh, and this conversation never happened.”

Molly winked at her. “What conversation?”

He waited a full minute after she’d left, then snuck out of the library and skipped back up the stairs to join the others, thoughts entirely elsewhere. 

* * *

An hour before the gala was set to start, Molly knocked lightly on the girls’ door. A bundle of borrowed clothing was tucked under his arm and he was eager to try it all on. Jester pulled the door open, already visibility excited. “Come in! Everyone else already went downstairs to get ready. You should see them, though. They look so good in the uniform Aradelle gave them… I thought Beau was gonna _die_ when she saw Yasha! But show me what you have! Let’s get you dressed up!” 

Molly grinned, feeding off of her excitement. “I’ve got a few options.” He dropped the bundle of clothing on the bed and started to lay them out. Aradelle had been skeptical when he’d asked to borrow some of her clothing, but she was far too polite to decline. He lifted a simple white top with a few ruffles and buttons, holding it up for Jester to see. “This one’s a bit boring, in my opinion, but I suppose I’ll already be standing out enough.” He tapped on one of his horns.

Jester frowned a bit and wrung her hands. “I don’t have to be in disguise, you know. What if someone is mean to you because you’re the only tiefling?”

Molly put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. “Don’t you worry. You do your disguise and stick to the plan. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, okay, okay… Well let’s figure out you’re wearing and then at least I can kinda match my outfit to yours so you’re not completely alone.”

Together they sorted through the options- three tops and two bottoms, an assortment of jewelry, two belts, and a choice between Molly’s usual boots or a slightly shorter pair of black ones. Molly shrugged out of his coat, folded it carefully, then shed the rest of his clothing with far less care. “Shame I don’t have any lingerie,” he chuckled.

“Oh man,” Jester agreed. “Maybe next time we go to a big city or something we can go shopping together and find all sorts of pretty things. I bet Caleb would totally love that.”

“Let me woo him before we start making any grand plans,” Molly chuckled. He picked up the pair of black tights, held them up, and nodded. As he tugged them on, Jester stood back and looked between him and the shirts, trying to decide which one would match best. “Black boots?” Molly asked. 

“Definitely.” She picked up one top, a cream colored silk blouse, and held it carefully. “Aradelle has such pretty clothes.” Despite being able to magic herself any sort of outfit she wanted, Molly knew she preferred the real thing.

“We are definitely going shopping,” Molly assured her. He owed her at least one very nice outfit after all of this. 

“I think…” She hesitated, torn between the options. “I know it’s not what you usually wear, but I think you should take this one.” Setting the silk blouse back on the bed, she lifted the sheer black top with a delicate pattern of stars. She was right, it was a much darker ensemble than Molly was used to, but the fabric was soft and flowy, and as he pulled it over his head, it seemed to drift down and settle loosely on his skin. He tucked the bottom of it into his tights, allowing it to billow out a bit at the waist.

A quick glance in the mirror told him it was the right choice. All of his tattoos were faintly visible through the fabric, dotted with silver stars that seemed to glimmer as he moved. The lack of color in the outfit itself seemed to accentuate his lavender skin, and his dark curls tied it all together. “I should let you dress me up more often.”

Jester grinned, proud of her work. She went to her back and pulled out a few things, setting them on the top of the dresser. Then she turned and pointed to the single chair in the room. “You can sit there. I’m gonna do your makeup, okay? Not like, a whole bunch, but just enough, you know?”

“I trust your judgement, darling.” 

Molly sat and Jester came over with her makeup supplies, buzzing with excitement. He followed her instructions as she brushed a dusting of silver flakes over his cheekbones and lined his eyes with dark kohl, then traced his lips with a soft brush that tasted faintly of champagne. She twisted a finger through a few of his curls, trying to get them to behave, then adjusted some of the jewelry on his horns, and dabbed the smallest bit of cologne just beneath his ears. Finally, she stepped back to admire her work. “Oh _man_ , he’s gonna _die_ when he sees you.”

Molly got to his feet and glided over to the mirror. “Death is maybe a bit extreme for what I had in mind, but… oh.”

“Right?” Jester beamed.

He posed a bit, studying his reflection in awe. “He’s totally going to die. You are a true artist, Miss Lavorre.”

There was a shimmer of magic from behind Molly as Jester magicked herself into a slightly taller elven woman. Her hair was much the same, but black, and her dress was a stunning deep blue. It too had a faint pattern of stars, but hers started at the hips and became more and more concentrated as it went lower, until the entire bottom of the dress was swirling silver. Little black shoes peeked out from beneath the long skirts. “What do you think?”

“Stunning.” Molly smiled widely and reached out a hand to her. “Shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So sorry for the delay on this chapter, I had an incredibly rough week. Your love and comments were a huge help in motivating me to get this done <3 Thank you so much!
> 
> I wanted to share two pictures with you!  
> Firstly, [This](https://million-wallpapers.com/wallpapers/0/16/326535193253623/beautiful-house-and-garden.jpg) is what I imagine the front of Aradelle's house to look like. (Though more elven in design.)  
> And second, here is Molly's top for the gala! [Black Sheer Star Top](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/4f/ad/bb/4fadbbd46a077943615f4f4fd5475ad4.jpg)
> 
> If there are any glaring mistakes or anything, please point them out! I would have liked to spend more time editing this chapter but I didn't want to hold it hostage any longer <3


	8. Chapter 8

Fjord was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. His disguise was more or less an elven version of himself, but with the fair elven features and the chestnut skin, Molly almost walked right past him. “Nice outfit,” he said to Molly, his unmistakable accent giving him away. “No sense in toning it down, huh?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Molly countered. “I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb no matter what I wear, so I might as well look damn good doing it.”

“Good point.” Fjord turned to Jester. “You look, um, nice.”

Jester narrowed her eyes at him. “That didn’t sound very convincing, Fjord,” she pouted.

Fjord gave Molly a brief look of panic and Molly shrugged at him. “I didn’t- It’s just strange, seeing you all elf-ed up, is all. You look really pretty though, for an elf. _As_ an elf.”

“Alright, you two,” Molly interrupted before Fjord could dig himself into any deeper of a hole. “You’ve got all night to flirt after we make sure Aradelle’s safe.” He started up the stairs and hoped they would follow.

Yasha was at the top of the stairs, standing guard in her server’s outfit and making sure nobody tried to go down into the main house. After Fjord had mingled a bit, it would become his post for the evening. Jester would be keeping an eye on the other set of stairs that led down into the garden. 

“We should get some drinks,” Molly said, scanning the room. Almost everyone was holding a glass of champagne, and they needed to fit in as much as possible. 

“Look for Beau or Caleb,” Yasha instructed. “They’re passing them out.”

“Got it.” He looked Yasha up and down. She was wearing a fairly simple tailored suit of black with a white ruffled shirt peeking out from beneath the coat. Her hair was pulled back and twisted up into a large messy bun, and though the tattooed stripe on her chin was hidden with makeup, her typical smudged eyeliner was still present. “You look good, Yash.”

“Thanks.” Quietly, she confessed, “I miss my sword.”

“Hopefully you won’t need it.”

Fjord and Jester went off one way, so Molly took the other. All of the glass doors were opened wide and a cool breeze drifted through the room, carrying with it the slightest hints of winter. The weather had been growing colder over the past week, and Molly had a feeling tonight was going to be rather chilly. His sheer top did very little to block the cold. Still, he didn’t regret the choice. He knew he looked good, and he was hoping Caleb would agree.

“Dude, people are staring at you.”

Molly looked over his shoulder and saw Beau standing behind him with an awkwardly large tray of champagne flutes. She lowered it so he could take one. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll go hide in my corner in a minute.” Her outfit was the same as Yasha’s, and it looked surprisingly good on her despite how formal it was. “Any funny business yet?”

“Nah, I don’t think he’s here yet. Nott’s on the lookout.”

Molly opened his mouth to reply, but a tall elven woman with severe cheekbones and incredibly thin eyebrows glided up to them and cleared her throat. She took in the sight of Molly with a look of distaste, then turned to Beau. “Champagne?”

“Oh, uh, yep. Yes ma’am.” Beau lowered the tray quickly and the glasses wobbled. The woman looked unimpressed, but she took one anyway and promptly left.

“Yikes. Aradelle wasn’t kidding, these people are snobs.”

“Yeah, seriously.” Beau wrinkled her nose in the woman’s direction. “I have to _serve_ them all night. You just get to hide in the shadows.”

“Be good,” Molly requested. He swiped himself a second drink and headed to the far balcony.   
  


* * *

  
Caleb was dreadfully bored. 

It was several hours into the festivities and nothing noteworthy had happened. Valogar had arrived two hours ago with a young half-elven woman on his arm. He’d approached his sister, gave a clipped greeting for formality’s sake, and promptly headed down to the gardens. Nott, in the form of a halfling woman, had scurried after him immediately and hadn’t let him out of her sights since. Frumpkin, currently in bird form, was keeping a close watch on him as well.

Food had been served and eaten and taken away, the champagne had been traded for expensive wines, and music drifted from the corner of the ballroom where a trio of musicians had set up for the evening. They were all beautiful women, though Caleb couldn’t tell if they were of elven descent or human. He’d spent the majority of his time in the gardens, until Aradelle had decided to head down. Beau trailed after her, surprisingly subtle, and Caleb climbed the stairs to take over her duties.

Gesa whisked by with a tray full of empty wine glasses and saw Caleb looking for something to do. “Thorben’s filling up another tray over that way,” she told him, nodding to the long tables. “Be a dear and pass them out? The red’s awfully popular tonight.”

Caleb nodded and went to pick up the tray, lifting it carefully and turning to face the crowd. His arm was sore from hours of this, but he pressed on in hopes that he would at least see a familiar face.

The tray was half gone when he crossed paths with Jester, who winked at him and took a glass just to hold. “Has anything happened yet? I’m kinda bored,” she whispered, pretending to sip at the drink.

“Nothing,” Caleb frowned. “Nott is with him, and Beau is with her.”

A tall, slightly more muscular than average elven man stepped up and reached for a glass. “Hardly recognized you, Caleb,” he spoke in an accented voice.

Caleb glanced up at him in surprise. “ _Ja_ , same to you, Fjord.” He felt better now that he knew what the two of them looked like. His own disguise was mostly just in the outfit- the same that Beau, Yasha, and Nott were wearing, but he’d done away with his freckles and made his hair a duller brown. It was longer, pulled into a ponytail, and he’d taken the time to shave his face.

“Been keeping tabs on some folks and three of ‘em have disappeared, far as I can tell.” Fjord waited for a couple to wander by before he continued. “Two men, one woman.” He described them briefly, and Caleb worried there weren’t enough details to go on. 

“I haven’t seen anyone that looks like that go downstairs,” Jester said, chewing her lip as she thought. “Maybe I should go down and tell Beau.”

“ _Ja_ , maybe watch the stairs from the bottom for a bit,” Caleb agreed. “Have you seen Molly?” He’d thought the tiefling would stand out, but Caleb hadn’t seen him all night. 

Jester nodded towards one of the balconies. “He’s watching from up there. A lot of people were giving him mean looks earlier.” She looked frustrated for a moment, but then a mischievous look took over. “You should go check on him, Caleb. He’s probably _really_ lonely over there.”

Caleb chuckled. He knew exactly what Jester was up to. “I will go check on him. Be safe.” 

It took Caleb several minutes to reach the far left balcony where Molly was, as his tray of wine glasses made him fairly popular. There were only two left on the tray when he finally made it out of the crowd. He saw Molly’s tail first, a flicker of moment as it swayed behind the tiefling lazily. Molly himself was leaning against the decorative iron railing of the balcony, looking out over the candle-lit gardens.

“Care for some company, Mollymauk?” Caleb stepped out onto the balcony, surprised at the drop in temperature. He was glad he’d left his coat on, beneath his disguise spell. 

“Oh, gods yes,” Molly purred as soon as he saw Caleb. He reached out and swiped one of the remaining glasses from the tray, taking a long drink from it. “I’ve been so damn thirsty, but every time I go out there I get all sorts of rude looks.”

Caleb heard him, mostly, but he was incredibly distracted by Molly’s outfit and the smoky black liner around his deep red eyes. There was a dusting of sparkles on his cheeks, which matched with the smattering of silver stars on his sheer black top. Caleb could just barely see his tattoos beneath the fabric. He could also see that his nipples were hard from the cold. “ _Molly_ ,” Caleb groaned. He remembered running his fingers over that lavender skin, and the idea that he wouldn't get to do it again was almost physically painful.

“Oh, do you like my outfit?” Molly struck a pose, showing off for Caleb. He batted his eyelashes. “Jester helped me.”

Caleb swallowed and tried to focus. “You look very handsome, Mollymauk.” It was a colossal understatement, but Caleb was trying hard not to give into the temptation that was Mollymauk Tealeaf. He reminded himself yet again that Molly was not his. Molly could do better. Caleb was absolutely not going to stare at him any more.

“My eyes are up here, love,” Molly joked, and Caleb blinked slowly. “The shave is nice, but I miss your freckles.” He started to reach for Caleb’s face, but an approaching guest made him retract his hand.

“Ah, last glass.” A stiff-backed man with lustrous blond hair approached Caleb, holding out a hand expectantly. He was hardly taller than Caleb, but he made it a point to look down his nose at him. The angle made it obvious that his hair was a wig.

“ _Ja_ , all yours,” Caleb muttered, lowering the tray. He was incredibly tired of playing server, and even more tired of being treated like a peasant.

“Your manners are just as lacking as your service,” the man sniffed, lifting the glass. Caleb tucked the tray under his arm. “Hiding out on the balcony while you should be working. I’d expect better of Lady Aradelle’s employees.”

“I’m new,” Caleb muttered. He just wanted to be left alone with Molly.

“Hmph.” The man seemed content to turn and leave with his nose in the air, but at the last second his eyes landed on Molly and he froze. “What in the name of the gods,” he spat, recoiling physically.

“Hello to you too,” Molly purred, waving his tail and winking. He leaned back against the railing, stretching seductively. 

“Disgusting demon,” he sneered. Faster than Caleb could follow, the man reached out, splashed his entire glass of wine in Molly’s face, turned, and left.

Molly watched him go, blinking in confusion. His mouth was half open and red wine was dripping down his front and clinging to his eyelashes. “Well that’s a first.”

Caleb’s mind had frozen in the moment, but Molly’s voice shook him out of it. He took two steps after the elven man without any clue what he was going to do when he caught him, but Molly held him back. “ _Arschloch,_ ” Caleb growled with venom. He glared daggers in the man’s back as he headed for the stairs.

“I’m fine,” Molly smiled, forcing Caleb to look at him. “Besides, this wine is delicious. Care to taste?” 

“ _Mollymauk,_ ” Caleb groaned, caught between several emotions. He was glad that Molly wasn’t upset, but at the same time he felt that he should be. Caleb was so furious for Molly’s sake that he could hardly form words, but there was nothing he could do without jeopardizing their entire plan. He was useless. 

“Hey now, look at me. I’m fine, really. Some people are just miserable, and there’s nothing that can be done about it.”

“Your outfit,” Caleb frowned. “I might be able to…” He touched a hand to the soaked fabric of Molly’s top and muttered a spell. There was a faint shimmer, and the fabric was dry.

“Hey, you even got it out of my hair,” Molly mused, running a hand through his curls. “See, no harm done.”

“I suppose,” Caleb muttered. “One more thing, though.” Placing a hand on Molly’s shoulders to anchor himself, he moved into Frumpkin’s sight and scanned the gardens below. With the eyes of an owl, it was easy to find the blonde elf with an empty wine glass in his hand, stalking towards Aradelle. No doubt he was planning on complaining her ear off.

Caleb willed Frumpkin to stretch out his wings and take flight, gliding down through the gardens in a large, swooping circle. He saw himself briefly, holding on to Molly, then Frumpkin swooped lower. The man was halfway across the gardens, walking briskly, but Frumpkin was much quicker. He tucked in his wings, dove a bit lower, then flared them out wide to slow himself and strike out with his talons. The man screeched in anger as he was relieved of his wig, and Frumpkin flapped twice to right himself and took off into the night. 

Caleb snapped back and saw Molly watching the chaos with an expression of glee. “Did you just snatch that man’s fake hair right off his greasy elven head for me?” 

“ _Ja_ , I did.” Caleb chuckled. “He deserved it.”

There was laughter in Molly’s eyes, and Caleb was so distracted by it that he didn’t even flinch when Molly surged up and kissed him. He could feel Molly’s smile against his lips, and found himself smiling in turn. He had missed kissing Molly, and in the moment it was terribly difficult to remember why he’d been trying to deny himself this. One thing came to mind, though it wasn’t the original reason. “Molly,” he laughed, pushing the tiefling away. “We need to focus.” They were, after all, still on the job.

“Like I can focus with you here,” Molly muttered, reaching in for one more quick kiss before finally relenting. “Stay close, at least. It’s cold.”

“I would give you my coat, but I don’t think it goes with the outfit.”

Molly said something in response, but Caleb didn’t catch it over Nott’s voice in his head. “Short skinny half-elf, black hair, red scarf. Just did something funny over a glass of wine and he’s heading downstairs.”

The description matched one of Fjord’s suspected guests. Caleb had his copper wire out of his pocket in seconds. “Keep eyes on Valogar, I’ll handle it,” Caleb responded to Nott. Then he turned to the garden. “Do not take the drink that is about to be offered to you,” he sent to Aradelle. Then to Beau, “Eyes on red scarf.”

“Go time?” Molly asked when Caleb was done sending messages. 

“Soon.” He pointed out the man Nott had mentioned. “Let’s see what he does.”

The two of them watched as he stepped off the stairs and into the garden, stopping twice to talk with other guests. He had two glasses of wine, but only sipped from one. He didn’t seem to be in any particular hurry, but he did gravitate towards Aradelle. Caleb could make out Beau standing a few feet back, wiping down one of the tables with a rag. Jester was in the gardens too, at a distance but clearly paying attention. Eventually, the man made his way to Aradelle and struck up a conversation. She engaged him as if he were any other guest, smiling and nodding at his words. When he offered the glass of wine, she smiled and shook her head, declining it politely. A few more minutes o conversation passed and he offered it one more time, but she declined again. Another guest took his place in conversation with Aradelle, and he slowly wandered away.

“Movement,” Molly whispered. “Behind her. Four lamps over to the left in the trees.”

Caleb nodded and sent three messages rapid fire. To Jester, “They’re in the garden. Get her up here.” To Aradelle, “Stay calm and follow Jester’s lead.” To Beau, “Get between her and the trees.”

Nott’s voice came through seconds later. “V’s going downstairs. Fjord and Yasha are filled in.”

Caleb nodded and looked to Molly. “Ready?”

“After you, love.” 

Caleb dropped his disguise, stuffed his wire in one pocket and pulled a feather out of another. With Molly in tow, he clambered up onto the railing. Then he took the tiefling’s hand and jumped, a quick muttering of words and a wave of his feather slowing their fall.

By the time they hit the ground, chaos had begun. Beau had jumped between Aradelle and the woods behind her just in time to intercept a thrown dagger. It had clipped Beau in the shoulder, but she’d caught it and thrown it back in a split second. It thunked into one of the trees. 

Valogar was still on the stairs, watching but not getting involved. Yasha and Fjord both shoved by him on their way down to the garden, and Caleb knew that Nott was hidden and ready to shoot him at a second’s notice. 

Caleb held a spell at the ready, eyes darting around the garden as he tried to pick out who was a guest and who was a threat. He saw a lump of red material discarded by one of the tables. “Red-scarf ditched the scarf,” he muttered.

“Got him,” Molly responded seconds later, striding forward. He growled a command in infernal and a man in the crowd dropped to his knees, clutching at his now-sightless eyes in confusion. 

Another dagger shot out of the woods, but Beau was ready for it. She caught it, threw it back, then turned to Aradelle and Jester. “Jester, dupes!” She pulled something out of her pocket, lit it with a match and tossed it at Jester’s feet. It exploded into a thick cloud of smoke, completely hiding Jester and Aradelle. Before the smoke even began to clear, five Aradelle’s ran out of the cloud in different directions. 

There was movement in the woods again and Caleb’s eyes locked on to a hooded figure. “Beauregard!” He called, letting five magic missiles loose from his hand. Beau ducked and the missiles streaked over her head. There was a shriek from behind the trees, and Fjord jogged in that direction

Valogar seemed to realize in that second that his plan was not going to work out. His face twisted from a sour expression of disappointment to surprisingly convincing concern, and he began to run down the stairs, calling out for Aradelle. “Where is she? What’s happening? Somebody find my sister!” 

Caleb reached into another one of his pockets for a handful of components. “Valogar!” He called, striding in the man’s direction. “I _suggest_ you stay right there and be quiet until we’ve got this all figured out.” 

Valogar’s eyes glazed over for a moment, then he shook his head and furrowed his brow. “What the…”

Caleb cursed as the spell slipped away. “We will do this the fun way then, hmm?” He thrust his other hand out and curled it around the thin rod of iron in his fist. “Stay.”

Valogar froze in place, unable to move.

“Beautiful,” Molly applauded. He walked over to Valogar, inspecting him, as Yasha came forward with an angry wriggling half-elf. His eyes were still clouded black from Molly’s curse, and it looked like somebody had socked him in the cheek. A moment later, Fjord joined them with an unconscious woman slung over his shoulder. 

The guests were all murmuring in confusion now that the action had died down. Most of them were gathered around the outer edges of the garden, trying to stay out of the way. Those who were still upstairs were leaning over the balcony rails, trying to see what was happening. Two Aradelles slowly came forward, and Nott rushed down the stairs with her crossbow in hand. “I got the other one! He was upstairs. I think he’s still alive… probably.”

Her disguise had faded, but with the brief show of magic and confusion, nobody seemed to take much notice of her. “Good job, _schatz._ ”

“Hello, brother,” one of the Aradelles said, stepping forward. Valogar’s expression was furious, but his mouth remained firmly shut. “Oh, can you not speak? That’s certainly a nice change.”

“I have him held, but I will need to release the spell if you’d like to interrogate him.” Caleb nodded to the second Aradelle, who promptly turned into Jester.

“Can you hold him a moment longer?” Aradelle asked. “I believe Sylvis is about to join us.”

At her words, an extraordinarily tall elf stepped off of the bottom stair and made their way to the group. They were dressed more formally than most of the guests, and even the way they walked exuded an air of authority. “Care to explain what all this ruckus is about, Aradelle?”

Aradelle gave a short bow before speaking. “I believe my brother has a confession for you, actually.”

“Valogar?” Sylvis addressed him. Caleb released the spell and Valogar shot him a venomous glare. 

“I have nothing to confess, Sylvis. I heard a commotion and came down to make sure my sister was safe, and this _magician_ froze me in place.”

Sylvis turned their gaze on Caleb, staring him down, but Jester cut in. “Hi! I’m Jester. So, Valogar was planning on killing Aradelle to take her house because he’s jealous and stuff, but she hired us to keep her safe. That guy,” she pointed to the half-elf in Yasha’s grip, “tried to make Aradelle drink poison wine, but we totally saw it and warned her, so then the other assassin lady in the woods tried to throw a dagger at her...”

Valogar began to sputter and voice his denial, but Sylvis raised a hand for silence. They turned their cool eyes on Jester. “Proof?”

“Yeah! I can make him tell the truth.” Jester turned to Valogar and made a wide gesture. 

Caleb felt the spell settle over himself as well, and thought it might be wise to warn Sylvis before they got themselves in trouble. “Ah, if you’re standing too close, you will be compelled to speak truth as well.”

Sylvis smiled. “Interesting. A lie, then.” They thought for a moment. “My favorite thing to eat is… pickled fish.” They made a face, then turned to Jester. “An impressive spell.”

“I know, right? So, Valogar, did you try to kill your sister?” Jester grinned and waited for his confession.

“No."

There was a moment of confusion, followed by a truly chilling look from Sylvis. Then Molly stepped up. “Phrasing, dear. Valogar, did you pay or otherwise entice these two to kill your sister?”

“Three!” Nott chimed in. “One upstairs. Maybe not alive anymore.”

Valogar was silent. 

Sylvis turned to him. “Speak to your innocence, if you can. You have one minute.”

“I…” Valogar’s expression was slowly morphing from anger to panic.

“He paid us to kill her,” the man in Yasha’s grip confessed. Molly’s curse had worn off and he looked tired and mad. “Thousand gold each.”

Sylvis raised an eyebrow and nodded. They turned to Aradelle. “It seems I will have to take my leave early. This has been an… interesting event. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Of course. You are welcome anytime,” Aradelle said with another small bow.

Sylvis nodded. “Come, Valogar. Erhic.” Caleb didn’t know what station Sylvis held, but it was clearly one of power. Valogar and the other man eyed each other with apprehension and followed.

Fjord nudged the unconscious woman at his feet. “You want us to carry this one over to your carriage?”

“That would be very kind of you.”

As they walked away, Jester turned to Caleb with a glint in her eye. “So, Caleb, are you like… totally in love with Molly?”

“ _Ich bin_.” Caleb answered. " _Sehr viel_.” He put a hand on her shoulder briefly, then turned and left the gardens.

As he walked away he heard Molly turn to Jester and ask, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter for all you lovely patient people. I know there was a lot of anticipation about Caleb's reaction... I hope I did it some amount of justice?
> 
> In other news, I got a dog!!! His name is Caduceus :D He is so much like Cad, the name was just a no-brainer. He's blind and deaf, but he doesn't let it get him down at all. He's a big, big boy with a cute cow-lookin nose, he's super chill, and just has that healing presence <3


	9. Chapter 9

Over the next hour, Valogar and the three would-be assassins, all still alive thanks to one of Jester’s simpler healing spells, were loaded up into a carriage and taken away. A few of The Nein helped clean up the mess that had been made, which primarily consisted of the puddle of blood left behind by Nott’s target. The crowd thinned as some of the guests left and others retired for the evening, but many still remained. Aradelle was making rounds and assuring everybody that the danger had passed and dessert was on its way. 

Eventually The Nein reconvened upstairs, standing just off to the side of the dance floor and chatting amongst themselves. Several pairs of eyes were on them, from brief glances to lingering stares, but none of the looks were quite as hostile as the ones Molly had experienced earlier in the evening. 

“You guys, that was the easiest fight ever and we made so much money,” Jester whispered excitedly. She had dropped her elven disguise but kept the dress, and she was absolutely stunning. Fjord was having a difficult time keeping his eyes to himself.

“We did good,” Caleb agreed. “Especially you, Nott, the Brave. You took down one of them on your own.”

Nott, back in her halfling disguise, beamed with pride. She had swapped out her server’s outfit for a little yellow dress, and the entire look was strangely fitting for her. “He didn’t see me coming at all.”

Beau didn’t look quite as happy as the rest of them. “That chick with the daggers ruined my jacket,” she complained, poking at the slashed fabric on her sleeve. Molly could see blood soaked into the material and wondered briefly about Beau’s priorities. “This shit looks good on me.”

Jester reached out with a faintly glowing hand. “I can fix it!” As her hand passed over the fabric, threads sprang out and knitted themselves back together, leaving no trace of the damage that had been done. 

“Dude, you’re the best,” Beau grinned. Not far from the group, the three musicians started up again, easing into an uplifting tune. 

Yasha touched Molly’s arm to get his attention. “I am going to go help Gesa and Thorben bring out the desserts.” 

“Aradelle said we’re off duty,” he reminded her. 

“They have been very kind to me. I would like to help them.”

He nodded, then winked at her. “I’m sure Beau wouldn’t mind helping you get the desserts,” he said just loud enough for the monk to hear. Beau scowled at him and flipped him off, but didn’t hesitate to follow Yasha down the stairs to the kitchens.

A short while later, Aradelle wandered their way. She chatted with Jester, complimenting her illusion work, and thanked Nott for saving her from the poisoned wine. As they talked, Molly felt the disapproving gazes of several guests on the back of his neck. They gossiped in whispers, always quick to fall silent when Molly turned his red eyes upon them. Typically such things wouldn’t bother Molly, but he’d been fielding their dirty looks and hushed insults all night. 

Well, if they wanted to talk, he’d give them something to talk about. He held out a hand to Aradelle and gave her his most charming smile. “Would it be too presumptuous of me to ask for a dance?” 

Aradelle seemed to know exactly what he was doing, but agreed nonetheless. She took his hand and smiled. “I am truly sorry for the behavior of my guests. There are not many tieflings in their world and they can be rather prejudiced.”

“Their loss,” Molly chuckled, leading her out to the center of the ballroom. She was absolutely stunning in the dress she’d chosen, and when they began to dance, it was clear she’d been doing it for most of her life. She moved with such grace that Molly felt clumsy in comparison, but he managed to not make a fool of himself..

“Their loss indeed. Though you certainly did not help your case with the outfit, and I must say, I’ve never met a man who wears quite so much makeup.” She laughed. “You are a very unique individual, my friend.”

“Gender bores me,” Molly shrugged. “Besides, I look good in anything.”

Aradelle blushed and lowered her voice. “You look good in nothing as well. Perhaps you’ll visit me later this evening?” 

“As absolutely lovely as you are, my dear, it seems my heart belongs to another.”

Aradelle seemed briefly disappointed, but then her smile returned. She nodded. “Your blue friend? She is lovely, if a bit odd herself.”

“Oh no. I think Fjord would smother me in my sleep if I tried anything with Jester,” Molly chuckled. He looked over Aradelle’s shoulder, hoping to spot Caleb, but the wizard was absent. “No, it’s the quiet one, actually. The human fellow.”

“Oh, Mister Widogast,” Aradelle nodded. “I’ve not spoken to him much, but he was certainly impressive tonight. A reader too, if I recall?”

Molly nodded. “Spent a whole day hiding from me in your library after our night together,” he chuckled. “I suppose I can be a bit oblivious, at times.”

Aradelle laughed and stepped back. “Well, what are you doing dancing with me then? Go find your gentleman and dance with him.” She leaned forward and gave Molly a quick kiss on the cheek. “And thank you, again. To all of you.”

“Our pleasure.” Molly bowed and kissed her hand, then backed off the dance floor.   
  


* * *

  
Molly found Caleb on the balcony again, sitting on the bench that was tucked out of sight of the doorway. It was significantly colder outside, and Molly could see that the garden below was nearly empty. Everyone had moved inside for the warmth, it seemed. Caleb had his coat wrapped around him and his scarf was tucked up under his chin. “Taking a break from the festivities?” Molly asked, sitting down next to him. He passed over one of the two steaming mugs he was holding.

“ _Ja_ , just for a bit.” He held the mug up to his face and breathed in the scent. “Mulled wine? Gesa makes this very well.”

“There’s hot cider too, but I remembered you liked this. Thought you might like something to warm you up a bit.”

“Thank you, Mollymauk.” He sipped it and let out a contented hum.

They sat together for a while, sipping their drinks and watching the dancing flames of the candles below as the wind drifted past them. At one point a fox slinked out of the woods and snatched up somebody’s forgotten dinner. Molly tried to hold back a shiver, but the cold was starting to get to him. Caleb wordlessly shifted closer and put an arm around him.

There were about a dozen things Molly wanted to say, but he didn’t know how to start the conversation without scaring Caleb off. Finally he just sighed and leaned into the man, closing his eyes and resting his head on Caleb’s shoulder. “You don’t have to stay with me if you’re cold,” Caleb said quietly when Molly shivered again.

Molly tilted his mug and saw that it was empty. “How about I just go get some more of this to warm us up,” he offered. Though he was reluctant to move away from Caleb, he really was getting cold. “When I get back, I have a question.”

Without waiting for Caleb’s response, he took the mug from his hand and went back inside. He saw that Jester had somehow convinced Fjord to dance with her, and the other three were watching them from the sidelines and eating blueberry pie. Gesa refilled Molly’s mugs with more of the hot spiced wine, and passed him a napkin full of cookies. “He likes these ones best, darling,” she said, patting his hand. Molly winked at her and carried everything back out to Caleb.

“Gesa is a treasure,” he said when he passed over the cookies. Caleb popped one into his mouth and nodded. Molly tried one as well and hummed in satisfaction. They were the most buttery shortbread cookies he’d ever tasted, and he could see why they were Caleb’s favorite. 

“You had a question?” Caleb prompted. He took a long drink of his mulled wine and sighed happily. “ _Das ist gut_.”

“I do. Though I’d like you to promise you’ll answer honestly,” Molly requested. He took a drink from his own mug and felt it warm him all the way through.

“Do you think me a liar?” Caleb frowned. 

“Not at all. I just think you won’t want to answer this one.”

Caleb considered for a moment. “I would ask the same, then. A question for a question. An honest answer for an honest answer.”

“Deal.” Molly grinned at Caleb, absently noting that his freckles were back. His face was still clean-shaven, though. Apparently that hadn’t been part of the disguise spell. 

“So then, what is your question?” Caleb stared down at his mug for a moment, but Molly waited until he looked back up to speak.

“The other morning, back at the inn. Why did you really call it off?”

Caleb seemed surprised, as if he’d expected a different question. He looked away quickly, staring out into the gardens, and thought for a few long moments. “ _Ehrlich_ ,” he muttered to himself. “I was… I was afraid what we were doing would ruin things. I initially thought it would just be a bit of fun, but, ah, it became more complicated than that.”

“Complicated how?” Molly turned to face Caleb. “The magic bit?”

Caleb shook his head and sank down a bit, as if he were trying to hide. “ _Nein,_ the feelings bit.”

“So you _do_ like me,” Molly grinned, leaning so he could see Caleb’s face. Caleb turned his head further away and Molly reached for him. “Hey now, don’t hide. I feel the same way.”

Caleb shook his head. “You are just saying that, Molly. You don’t want to be with me.” He looked up at Molly as if waiting for confirmation of his words.

“I think that’s for me to decide, darling.” He set his mug aside and pulled Caleb into his arms. “You’re too hard on yourself. You’re very likeable.”

“ _Bitte_ , you are making this very difficult.” Caleb’s voice was catching on his words, and he dropped his head on Molly’s shoulder to hide his face. “You don’t know what I have done. I am a terrible, terrible person.”

“Caleb,” Molly said softly, bringing up one hand to comb through his hair. “I don’t know who you used to be, or what’s happened to make you hate yourself like this, but you are not a terrible person. Maybe one day you’ll tell me, or maybe you won’t, but it’s not going to change how I feel about you.”

“You can’t say that. You can’t…” Caleb let out a shuddery breath and tried to pull away, but Molly held him tight. 

“Lucien, for all I know of him, was a terrible person. But I am not him. So whoever you were in your past doesn’t matter. You are Caleb now, and Caleb is a good man.”

Caleb was quiet for several moments, resting his face in the crook of Molly’s neck and taking steady breaths. Finally, he spoke. “Bren. That was my name.”

Molly smiled and leaned back a bit, cupping Caleb’s cheek in one hand. “Well Bren and Lucien can go fuck off for all I care. We are Molly and Caleb now.”

Molly wanted to kiss away the sadness on Caleb’s face so badly, but he waited. Eventually, Caleb nodded. “ _Ja,_ okay. Molly and Caleb.”

“So, now that that’s out of the way, what is your question?”

Some of the tension faded from Caleb’s shoulders, and as he relaxed a bit, Molly moved closer. Even the hot drink was failing to keep him warm now. “You answered my original question, so I will have to think of another.” He lifted his arm in invitation and Molly scooted under it, promptly burying his freezing nose in Caleb’s scarf. 

Caleb huffed in a way that sounded like a laugh. “Not all of us are made for this cold weather,” Molly complained. He’d heard the expression ‘beauty is pain’, but he mused that in this case, it was ‘beauty is freezing to death’.

“I suppose my question is, why me?”

It was a simple enough question, really, but none of the answers that came to Molly’s mind seemed adequate. He told Caleb as much. “All I know is that my interest in people usually only goes as far as getting them in bed. But with you…” Molly shrugged. “I want more.”

“What is more?”

Molly laughed. “For starters, I want to take you inside and dance with you. Honestly, Caleb, it’s freezing out here. I don’t know how you stand it.”

Caleb shrugged. “The coat helps. I don’t mean to disappoint, but I am not much of a dancer.”

Molly stood anyway, leaving his empty mug on the bench and reaching for Caleb’s hand. “Come on, it’s easy. Besides, I dressed up so nice for you. Don’t you want to show me off?” He winked, and he could see Caleb’s resolve breaking.

He let Molly pull him off of the bench, then looked down at his tattered coat and frowned. He closed his eyes, muttered something arcane, and his clothing shimmered and became clean and whole. The coat was a bit more formal in appearance, and his hair was pulled back into a clean ponytail again. “Is this okay?”

“You left the freckles,” Molly noted happily. “You’re perfect, come on.” He dragged Caleb back inside, relaxing into the warmth immediately, and pulled him towards the dance floor. The music was slow and relaxed, a beautiful combination of viola and harp, and for all Caleb pretended he couldn’t dance, he fell into step easily with Molly pressed against him. “See? You’re a fine dancer.”

“People are staring,” Caleb mumbled.

“You should be used to it by now, as much time as you spend with me.” Molly was used to being stared at, and he typically didn’t mind. “Besides, have you seen what I’m wearing?”

Caleb finally laughed. “I have. You look very dashing, Mollymauk. Truly."

“Shame I have to give the top back. It’s Aradelle’s, you know. She was a bit confused when I asked if I could borrow some of her clothes.”

“She has been very kind to us. Her home is a bit rich for my tastes, but I admit I will be sad to leave it. Frumpkin too; he loves the gardens.” Caleb’s hand settled a bit lower, resting on the small of Molly’s back.

“The beds are certainly more comfortable than our usual fare,” Molly purred. “It would be a shame if we didn’t enjoy them to our fullest.”

“ _Verlockend,_ ” Caleb smiled. Molly wondered if the glamour hid his blush.

“Can’t say I recognize that one.”

“I cannot tell you all my secrets, Mollymauk,” he teased.

“What if I tell you some of mine?” The music faded and started into another piece, and a few couples left the floor. Molly welcomed the added privacy, and pressed closer to Caleb.

“How do you mean?”

“ _Xe silz za cyye haf_ ,” he said in infernal. He spoke quietly, not wanting to bring anyone’s attention back to them.

“You said that the first night we were together,” Caleb remembered. “What does it mean?”

Molly smiled. “ _want to keep you_.” He was happy to see that the glamour did not, in fact, hide Caleb’s blush. 

“What, ah…” Caleb licked his lips and glanced around quickly, checking to make sure they weren’t too close to any other couples. “Last night, when you told me the bite would scar. You said something then too.”

“ _Kydalq._ ”

“What does it mean?”

Molly tilted his head up to meet Caleb’s eyes. There was a mixture of curiosity and lust in them that Molly absolutely loved. He lowered his voice a bit and resisted the urge to grin. “Are you sure you’d like to know?”

“ _Ja_ , Molly. Don’t tease.”

In the same low growl that he’d spoken the word originally, he spoke the translation into Caleb’s ear. “ _Mine._ ”   
  


* * *

  
Caleb’s breath caught in his throat and he missed a step. Molly was pressed against him, certainly close enough to feel the way his body reacted to the possessive growl in his voice. “I… I still don’t understand what you see in me, Mollymauk, but if that is what you want…”

“It is. I also want to kiss you,” Molly told him, red eyes lingering on Caleb’s lips. 

“Mm. Perhaps not here.” 

“Downstairs then?” Caleb raised an eyebrow, and there was a beat of silence before Molly realized what he’d said. “I absolutely meant that in both ways,” he laughed. 

Caleb couldn’t help but chuckle along with him. He noted the way that the corners of Molly’s eyes crinkled when he laughed, and how his smile showed off his pearly white fangs. Caleb felt the odd swell of emotion that was starting to become more familiar, and he wondered if Molly ever felt it as well. “ _Ja_ , okay. Let’s go, shall we?”

“Wait for me, I’ll just be a second.” Molly pulled away from Caleb, gave his hands a quick squeeze, and slipped away. Caleb watched the swish of his tail and the far-too enticing sway in his hips as he made his way over to Fjord. They exchanged a few words, but Caleb was too far away to hear them. Then Fjord looked up, found Caleb’s eyes, and turned a bit pink. It clashed terribly with his green skin.

Molly returned to Caleb with a catlike grin, and he was almost afraid to ask. “What did you tell him?”

“Oh, you know,” Molly shrugged. “Just that he should avoid the room for a few hours unless he wants a show. I might have worded it a bit differently.”

Caleb rubbed a hand over his face. He glanced back in the direction of Fjord and saw that the half-orc was completely avoiding his gaze, but Jester was waving at him with a mischievous grin that rivaled Molly’s. “You are a terror, Mollymauk Tealeaf.”

“You love it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Ehrlich"_ : Honest  
>  _"Verlockend"_ : Tempting / Seductive
> 
> We're almost there! One more chapter to go <3 Thank you guys so much for sticking with me and my silly little story!


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